VIEWED by many people as having some members engaged in not –so-wholesome activities even while in active duty, Dagupan City policemen will get a break from this impression once the plan of City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim to help them operate fishpens in certain designated parts of the city’s rivers goes full gear soon.

Lim’s move is aimed at weaning any member of the city police away from unlawful pursuits to augment his low salary. He said that under his scheme, the police through their cooperative, can build and operate and operate fishpens in order to boost their incomes.

Lim said he will issue Aqua-Culture Lease Agreement (ALA) to the police cooperative that will authorize it to build fishpens in designated portions of rivers here.

The ALA is provided for in a comprehensive fishery ordinance enacted by the city council two years ago that prescribed rules and regulations in the use of the city rivers for fish production.

No fees would be charged the police cooperative for the ALA. Lim clarified that the ALA would be an incentive to the police for complying with his recent memorandum to rid the city of all illegal gambling machines within 72 hours.

The mayor destroyed in public 41 units of gambling machines seized by the police headed by Supt. Edgar Basbas from various parts of the city.

He said he will not only issue ALA to the police cooperative but will also provide it the needed seed capital to enable it to build fishpens.

The seed money would be used to buy bamboo poles, nets, bangus fingerlings and feeds that would be needed by the fish for them to grow.

All the incomes to be derived from the fishpen operations will be shared by all individual policemen.

Noting that the policeman’s take home pay is only barely enough for his family, Lim proposed a livelihood program for the lawmen through the raising of fish in pens.