Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Senior Supt. Carmelo Valmoria has ordered Supt. Audie Villacin, the CPPO chief for administration, for the deployment of additional policemen in police stations in the province with minimal personnel.
In an interview, Villacin said Valmoria wants that municipal stations should have at least 21 personnel.
Villacin said they have already identified towns that need to be prioritized for the deployment of additional police personnel. These towns are Compostela, Sogod, Tuburan, Tabuelan and Balamban.
The second priority will be the towns of San Fernando and Dalaguete while the third priority will be the island municipalities.
Villacin said the Provincial Mobile Group promised to release 37 of its personnel to be deployed in some police stations in the province while the Special Reaction Unit also promised to give up some of its personnel.
Over all, the total force of provincial police is 1,530. This includes the non-commission officers, police commissioned officer and non-uniformed personnel.
Villacin said fresh recruits will no longer be based at the provincial headquarters but instead be deployed in the field. He pointed out that the province has the highest number of police personnel in Central Visayas.
Just recently, Medellin town Mayor Ricardo Ramirez appealed to Valmoria for additional policemen to augment the police force in the town.
Ramirez cited that the present strength of the police station in the town is not enough to maintain the ideal police-to-population ratio. The ideal ratio is one policeman for every 500 residents.
Medellin Vice Mayor Michael Miranda said the town has only 13 police personnel to secure its 19 barangays. The town has a population of 50,000. — Garry B. Lao/LPM