The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Sunday announced that the public should expect stricter but better security measures and procedures in shopping malls and other commercial establishments.

NCRPO Regional Director Roberto Rosales said that last Friday, as per agreement between them and security officers and mall administrators last Oct. 21 on Security Symposium, the different district offices in Metro Manila conducted security drills with mall security guards in order to improve response during incidents such as armed robbery, shooting, hostage-taking and other crime incidents that may occur in their areas.

Rosales, who was present and observing the drill by the Manila Police District last Friday at the Robinsons Place in Ermita, Manila, expressed happiness when a bystander in the area thought the drill was real and called up the police for emergency response.

He said that members of the MPD Police Station 5 immediately responded to the area.

The NCRPO chief said that the spontaneous action of the person who reported the incident and the immediate response of the police prove that the presence of the police in terms of receiving reports and coming up with the corresponding deployment is working well.

Rosales said that other areas who also conducted simulation exercises in the malls were the Eastern Police District at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City; Victory Mall in Caloocan City by the Northern Police District and at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City by the Southern Police District.