Manila cops fail crime response test

The Binondo police failed to respond to a mock-up crime situation, while it took 30 minutes for the Balut, Tondo policemen to arrive at a crime scene just 1,000 meters away from the police station.

The two Manila police stations, chosen at random by the Internal Affairs Section (IAS) of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) during the annual general inspection-operation, readiness security inspection test and evaluation (AGI-ORSITE) held last week, are not the only ones that failed to come up to scratch.

Policemen from the Jose Abad Santos police station took 12 minutes to reach the crime scene located just 300 meters away, while the Sta. Cruz policemen took a little over seven minutes to reach the crime scene 1,000 meters away.

An exasperated Manila Police District (MPD) director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales vowed to make improvements on the crime-response capability of his men, with a warning that heads will roll unless station commanders improve the mobility of their personnel.

Rosales has imposed a seven-minute response to any crime situation. In fact, patrol cars carry stickers that call on the public to contact Rosales directly in case policemen fail to respond within the seven-minute deadline.

Despite the Manila policemen’s failure in the crime-response test, they garnered a 100 percent rating in their compliance with the new rule requiring them to wear their whistle with a lanyard around their neck.

During the AGI-ORSITE, the MPD personnel were found to have basic knowledge in arrest, search and handcuffing techniques. Arresting officers were also rated high for having a good commanding voice.

At the physical inspection, 260 men were found to have zippers, instead of buttons, to close their shirts, which Rosales considers a no-no.

One hundred fifty eight cops have rusty firearms and unpolished belt buckles, while 119 have long hair. Seventy do not have the required white handkerchiefs that form part of their uniform.

Despite these statistics, the MPD was given a passing grade since the district has 3,100 members.

Only 406 personnel were unaccounted for during inspection, while majority of those inspected have expressed their willingness to learn.

AGI-ORSITE reports showed the effect of the MPD’s shortage of funds, especially at the precinct level. “Continuous support of the community and local government unit is needed,” the report said.