THE Police Regional Office (PRO) in Central Visayas stands a chance at capturing the national award for best regional office for having “exemplary operational readiness.”
The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) also received praises from the team that conducted the PNP Annual General Inspection (AGI) last Monday and Tuesday.
The programs of the CPPO and the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) got high marks but AGI inspectors found defects in their office buildings.
Senior Supt. Marlo Meneses, one of the evaluators, noted that the CPPO headquarters need to repair cracks left by last year’s earthquake.
CPPO Director Patrocinio Comendador, in a separate interview, said that an engineer has checked the cracks and found them to be superficial.
Dilapidated
At the CCPO, AGI evaluators pointed out that the offices of the Crime Scene Investigation, finance department, homicide section and the Mobile Patrol Group are dilapidated and need renovation.
Chief Supt. Sonny Cunanan, who headed the inspecting team from Camp Crame, said he was impressed by PRO 7’s performance.
“We only saw minimal problems here. But they have a lot of initiatives or best practices to improve services to the community and develop better systems,” he told reporters yesterday after the AGI exit briefing.
Among the problems that AGI evaluators found were the more than 2,000 unserved warrants of arrest.
Cunanan said, though, that the problems that PRO 7 face, such as dilapidated buildings and defective handguns, can also be observed in other regional police offices in the country.
Crime rate
Still, the AGI results showed that PRO 7’s overall operational and administrative effectiveness as reflected in the decline of the region’s crime rate to 15.48% in 2012.
PRO 7 got high marks in operational readiness, and security inspection test and evaluation exercises, particularly in the implementation of search warrants, checkpoints and maintenance of firearms, among others. It received “very satisfactory” ratings in hostage situations and earthquakes.
The AGI assesses the administration and operational aspects of police units nationwide.
Meneses, on the other hand, noted CPPO’s preparedness for the AGI. He said the general peace and order of Cebu province is under control.
But there were issues that needed to be addressed, such squatters who are occupying police properties in Bogo City and police personnel who have no firearms.
Improvements
“There are areas that need to be improved but overall we gain a very prolific rating,” said Comendador.
While CCPO’s buildings were rundown, its programs and operational preparedness received praises from AGI evaluators.
Camp Crame evaluators commended the City Intelligence Branch’s checkpoints, the Motorcycle Response Unit and the Movement Against
Drugs campaign.
The CCPO also passed the earthquake drill evaluation, hostage situation management, fire plan, and crime scene response procedures.
AGI evaluators raised the need to address the presence of streetchildren and minor offenders in coordination with other government agencies.
Evaluators found that all CCPO police stations, except for the Mobile Patrol Unit, were ready for inspection. But only the
Waterfront Police Station was without defects.
Acting Cebu City Police Office Director Mariano Natuel said they will continue to improve CCPO’s services and facilities.
