Geez, the po-po just had to be a Grinch this holiday season.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) Supervisory Office on Security and Investigation Agency (SOSIA) told security agencies yesterday that their mall and hotel security guards aren’t allowed to wear Santa outfits or any costume while on duty.
TV broadcast network UNTV reported that the order came after a Quezon City mall’s guards were accosted on Sunday for wearing costumes.
GMA News’ Balitambayan said that the Quezon City mall’s security agency will have to pay a fine of PHP400,000 (US$7,599.84) for violations such as unprescribed uniform, expired duty detail order, and no license to exercise security profession.
A duty detail order is a written order issued by a superior officer which says what the private security personnel’s duties will be.
Superintendent Jaime Santos, the officer-in-charge of PNP-SOSIA said that the practice is a security risk which could lead to confusion, especially in times of emergency.
“When there is an emergency, people will not approach them (security personnel), thinking they might be just ordinary employees,” he was quoted saying in Filipino by ABS-CBN News.
The report added that these security guards might also lose access to their guns if they wear costumes.
Santos also said that a security guard’s job is to keep people safe and not to amuse them.
Well, that’s certainly a downer. You can be two things at once, right?
UNTV also reported that criminal syndicates might follow suit and don costumes to do all sorts of crimes inside an establishment.
The PNP’s presence will be felt more this holiday season with the influx of shoppers. They will deploy patrol units outside malls for a quick response team in the event that a crime happens.
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