April 14-20, 2011
The Tagum City police in its briefing report given to the City Council has assessed that “notable increase of crimes involving the use of firearms, street crimes and those perpetrated by motorcycle-riding criminals has become an alarming public safety concern”.
Senior police inspector (PSI) Jimmy Palomar, deputy chief of Tagum City PNP, during the question hour in last Monday’s session of the Sangguniang Panglungsod, bared this while several councilors asked him regarding the state of the city’s peace and order.
SPI Palomar was sent by chief of police PSupt. Ruel Neil Salcedo.
The city council invited Salcedo last week to shed light on the rash of crimes occuring in the city.
PSI Palomar added that the continuing crimes involving firearms and motorcycle-riding criminals “destroys the image and credibility of the PNP to ably protect the community.”
“This situation is further aggravated by apparent lack of police visibility on the street especially in crime-prone areas and the accomodating attitude of some PNP members in the performance of their duties,” he added in his report.
For these, he continued, the city police has “formulated the Police Integrated Patrol Plan System (PIPS).. which prescribes operational guidelines and procedures to enhance crime prevention and solution.”
He said that the PIPS would have the city police force “conduct of high police visibility (foot and mobile patrol), anti-criminality and police security operations-checkpoint/chokepoint operations, Oplan Bakal/Sita, saturation drives, K-9 panelling and other police interventions to address motorcycle-riding criminals, street crimes, crimes incidents perpetrated with the use of firearms.”
Palomar also bared that in the month of April five holdup incidents had occured within the city’s territory.
Councilor Robert “Tete” So stood and said that with such number that occured within the first half of April it showed that “it is not only alarming but very alarming (trend).”
Palomar said that one of the cases had motorcycle-riding holduppers victimized a woman.
He added that the cases have been actively pursued by the police.
But while the city police has been actively putting up various police operations in its anti-criminality and peace and order campaigns as usual the police is hindered by the problem of lack of personnel vis-a-vis the high city population to protect.
Palomar maintained though that the city’s peace and order situation “remains normal and under manageable level.”
Tagum PNP force currently has only some 90 policemen while the city has more than 300,000 residents. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)
Filed under: Uncategorized, Senior police inspector (PSI) Jimmy Palomar
Recent Comments