THE Police Regional Office (PRO) Western Visayas marked the 30th National Crime Prevention Week (NCPW) with a ceremony held at Camp General Martin Teofilo Delgado, Fort San Pedro, Iloilo City on September 2, 2024.
Lawyer Jerome LB Asuga, regional director of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) Western Visayas, was the guest of honor and speaker at the event.
The theme for this year's NCPW is "Kabataan Tara na, sa Crime Prevention Kaisa Ka!" (Youth, Let's Join Together in Crime Prevention).
Asuga, during the press conference, emphasized the shared mission of the police and Napolcom in combating crime and underscored the importance of youth empowerment in crime prevention.
He also called for greater involvement from Parents and Teachers' Associations in schools to promote crime prevention measures.
“You know how important the media is to our society. You provide us with the necessary information. With Police Brigadier General Jack Wanky’s permission, I am here to spearhead the National Crime Prevention Week. I have previously stated, as a guiding principle, that Napolcom and PNP are one,” Asuga said.
Asuga is seeking assistance from the Department of Education (DepEd) to promote Crime Prevention Week, focusing on youth, by informing the Parents-Teacher-Students Association in Western Visayas about crime prevention and crime reporting, as part of their organizing activities.
“The aim of this initiative is to alleviate the suffering of crime victims, particularly those who are young children, victims of sexual violence, and victims of cyber crime. Simultaneously, we aim to fortify the community's understanding of crime reporting, emphasizing the importance of crime prevention, rather than merely reacting when crime recurs,” Asuga said.
The National Crime Prevention Week is observed annually during the first week of September, as per Presidential Proclamation 461 issued on August 31, 1994. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)