A policeman and Barangay Police Security Officers or BPSOs patrol Barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City on October 8, 2021. | Photo courtesy of Cebu City Police Office’s Police Station 9
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Barangay Police Security Officers (BPSOs) have helped Cebu City policemen in lessening the crime volume in Cebu City by expanding security presence of police in their respective areas of responsibility.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) deputy director for operations, said this after the CCPO recorded only 12 crime incidents in a week spanning Oct. 10 to Oct. 16, which were 2 crimes less than the average of 14 crimes a week in the city.
Parilla said that there were only 1,068 policemen covering the 80 barangays of Cebu City.
He said this was where the BPSOs help came in as they help police cover their respective barangays or areas of responsibility (AOR).
“Nakatabang sila puno sa mga mumonitor sa mga suok nga bahin sa Cebu City. Bali extension sa police visibility,” Parilla said.
Aside from that, he also said the BPSOs know their respective areas making it easier for policemen to move around the inner portions of the barangays.
He also said that chiefs of police stations in the city were also required and had to sign a document to make sure that the BPSO would report to police stations to assist policemen in patroling the barangays.
He added that the police personnel would lead BPSOs in their monitoring both at day time and night time.
| Data from CCPO
He again cited the 12 crime incidents from Oct. 10 to 16.
Of the 12 incidents, 10 were theft, one was murder, and another was robbery.
Parilla said that 10 theft incidents were already solved while in the murder and robbery incidents, cases were already readied for filing.
“For the Cebu City, supposed to be, we have a maximum of 14 incidents of the crime volume per week. So, dapat 14 lang ka incidente of eight focused crime ang maximum nga mahitabo sa Cebu City (at least 14 incidents of eight focused crime is the maximum incidents for Cebu City) but for the week of October 10 – 16, duna lang tay 12 ka incident (we have 12 incidents), which is way below sa directives sa atoang regional director,” he said.
Parilla said that focused crimes were those crimes committed against persons and properties including murder, homicide, physical injuries, robbery, theft and carnapping.
The October 10 to 16 crime volume is almost half of the total number of incidents from October 3 to 9, 2021, which has over 23 incidents, 12 for theft, 7 for physical injuries, 3 for robbery and 1 for murder.
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