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Wednesday, August 31, 2005
2 cops’ deaths prod study on alarm response
Responding to alarms is not one of the tasks members of the Crime Suppression Unit (CSU) are expected to do.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who was behind the unit’s creation, yesterday said CSU members were taught marksmanship and combat, but could have taken a textbook approach to real-life situations.
The mayor commissioned a case study on how policemen respond to alarms, following the death of PO2s Armando Juegos and Oliver Jamboy at the hands of a civilian who ran amok Sunday night.
He said the two policemen “lacked the presence of mind,” which was not really their fault because they were taught marksmanship and combat extensively, but not the proper handling of alarms.
The mayor also insisted yesterday that Supt. Herman Lungayan, Mobile Patrol Group (MPG) chief, should take the heat for the death of the two policemen.
Lungayan will be relieved of his post tomorrow and will be replaced by Chief Insp. Arnel Banzon, Carbon police chief.
One of the rules emphasized in police training is easy to remember: Do not be in a hurry to die.
To curb mistakes and to keep colleagues aware of how to face certain situations, Cebu City Police Chief Melvin Gayotin wants to include in the regular skills training of the CSU a regular discussion of the day’s previous events.
Alive
Gayotin said that if they regularly share information, policemen would know what to expect when faced with similar situations.
CSU trainer Bingen Mendezona also pointed out the need for personal safety when doing police work.
“The number one goal is to go home alive,” Mendezona told reporters.
Aside from training the operatives who go out to the field, Mendezona also said the local police force needs a “really good call-taking and dispatching system.”
Ideally, he said, the person who takes the call already makes the initial investigation by talking to the caller and assessing the problem.
The one taking the call will then relay vital information to the police team while on its way to the area.
Policemen should evaluate the situation before entering a territory, he said.
If they think they cannot handle the situation alone, they must not hesitate to ask for backup.
Lesson learned
Supt. Pablo Labra II, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau, in an earlier interview, said the CSU members’ duties were limited to arresting subjects of warrants of arrest and were trained on firearm proficiency, police intervention techniques and intelligence.
But CSU members were apparently also tasked to respond to alarms like MPG members and the Special Weapons and Tactics policemen.
That was why Juegos and Jamboy rushed to Nivel Hills, Lahug to respond to a “trouble alarm” Sunday night.
Prudencio Borres clubbed Juegos and grabbed his firearm, which he used in shooting the policeman.
Domestic
Jamboy came to his colleague’s rescue and exchanged shots with Borres, who died of multiple gunshot wounds. Jamboy, who was wounded in the neck, died hours later.
The mayor said the policemen should not have taken the alarm lightly, adding as an example that the most difficult ones Los Angeles policemen find difficult to manage are domestic violence cases.
Yesterday, the mayor delegated the task of accepting donations for the families of the two slain policemen to the Kiwanis Club of Cebu, which regularly awards city police operatives found outstanding in their jobs.
City Hall hopes to raise up to P300,000 for the two policemen’s families. (RHM/MEA)
(August 31, 2005 issue)
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