Police ask public’s help to beef up intelligence network

THE Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), upon instructions from Police Regional Office 6, aims to intensify its intelligence network to help prevent and address the commission of various crimes in the city.

PNP Deputy Regional Director for Administration PSSupt. Manuel Felix along with BCPO OIC PSSupt. Edgardo Ordaniel joined Bacolod Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia in a press conference on Wednesday to report their plans and actions relative to last Saturday’s robbery of F & C pawnshop in Bacolod where the heavily armed robbers carted away more or less P1.5 million in cash and jewelry.

The police has studied the activities of these crime groups and even had leads now.

They even filed a Robbery in Band charge against some of the suspects, namely the Monopollo brothers, a certain PO1 Gaudencio, Wagner and two minors who are possibly involved.

Police said the suspects belong to the notorious crime groups of the Acetylene and Ozamis Parohinog gangs.

Felix said that it is time to keep in touch with the community. They should form part of the intelligence network. They are the very people on the ground who can see the activities in their areas.

He also asked the public to help the PNP in the information gathering, in case they find suspicious looking individuals and activities in their respective areas.

The community is a force multiplier and can be of great help to the police in the prevention and solution of the crimes. Intelligence work also comes from the community and the police can achieve more with a strong intelligence network, he said.

Ordaniel added that police visibility has been heightened in downtown Bacolod.

Mayor Leonardia also said that peace and order is a top priority in his administration.

He said crimes happen despite the preparedness of the police because of the "cat and mouse" situation between the criminals and the law enforcers but he believes that the police can soon strike back against these criminal elements.

Leonardia appealed to the public to help the police in intelligence work.

He also mentioned the augmentation of police force from the region.

According to Ordaniel, the existing ratio of the police versus the population in Bacolod is one police officer to 1,064 persons while the ideal is about 1 policeman to 500 persons.

This ratio has in fact improved because, four years ago, the ratio was 1 policeman to 1,501 persons.

The mayor hopes that the Regional PNP leadership can see the need to add PNP personnel in Bacolod.

Bacolod is double in size and population compared to Iloilo City, Leonardia said, but Iloilo has bigger police force than Bacolod.

Felix also asked Leonardia to encourage Bacolodnons to join the PNP because those who will be trained will be sent back to where they live.

As to the participation of a certain PO1 Gaudencio in the F & C heist, Felix said the few scalawags pull down the good men in uniform.

It is the thrust of the PNP national leadership to file charges against the scalawags and ensure their dismissal from police service, he stressed. (CNC)