CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Police are now expected to be more proactive in problem-solving in the community and become partners in development.
During Talakayan sa PIA on Police Community Relations Month, National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) region 10 spokesperson and chair of the regional appellate board, Lawyer Robert Lou Elango said there is a new concept called Community and Service Oriented Policy (CSOP) crafted by NAPOLCOM to enhance the role of police, not just law enforcement but as partners in development especially in barangays.
Since the implementation of CSOP, Elango said, there had been Memorandum of Agreements (MOA) signed by different local chief executives (LCEs).
It has now become a triumvirate of efforts among barangays, LCEs and Philippine National Police (PNP), he added.
There are many potential source of conflicts in the community but before they become violent incidents, police should already find a way to resolve such issues. Under CSOP, Elango said, our police should already get involved.
Police should coordinate with the barangay and initiate finding solutions to the problem.
In the past, with the old policy, Community Oriented Policy System (COPS), the mandate was if there was a crime, then the police must be quick to respond. It was reactionary, Elango said.
Although police visibility helps to reduce crimes to happen, but the thrust now of NAPOLCOM, is not just to take away the opportunity of criminals to commit the crime but ultimately take away their desire to commit such crime.
The desire to commit the crime should be eliminated, Elango said.
He explained, the effect of police visibility is just to delay the commission of crime but the desire of the person to commit the crime is still there.
In terms of community involvement in attaining peace and order, Elango said the people are the police first. In the beginning, the community were the first police, to take care of the community.
Now, we are professionalizing police force, Atty. Elango said.
Police qualification standard is high and competitive.
It’s not who you know but what you have. The more eligibilities you have, the more credentials you have, if you have high grades in college, that will count because there is a ranking system in the recruitment, he said.
To enter police force, one must not only be fit physically but also have a clean record even in the barangay.
Police job is exciting, challenging and rewarding, Atty. Elango explained. But when you enter, one of your feet is already on the grave. It’s difficult to enter but easy to be relieved from the job.
