EDITORIAL - Sanitized

It may not warrant headlines, but the story about police underreporting of crime incidence in several areas in Metro Manila warrants special attention. Failure to provide an accurate picture of the peace and order situation is bad news for public safety. It could lull people into a false sense of security and make public safety personnel complacent about their duties.

Several Metro Manila police commanders are under investigation for excluding from their crime reports to their superiors peace and order problems tackled at the barangay level. While these are generally minor offenses such as fistfights and vandalism in the neighborhood or the theft of small items such as aluminum ladders, vehicle side windows or jeans hanging on clotheslines, these offenses still touch people directly and create a sense of insecurity. Petty thieves can turn into violent muggers if their victims fight back; several mobile phone snatchers have fatally stabbed their victims.

Police and barangay personnel are tasked to maintain public safety at the grassroots. Barangay personnel are at the forefront of enforcement of laws against illegal gun possession, jueteng and drug trafficking. They are tasked to protect women and children against domestic violence. Police commanders cannot sanitize their situation reports just so they can look good to their superiors. The commanders cannot keep out of their reports peace and order problems handled by the barangays.

As it is, even those barangay reports do not provide a complete picture of the peace and order situation. Unless there is a fairly large amount involved or someone is injured, many victims of petty thievery, burglaries, vandalism and disorderly conduct do not bother reporting to authorities. Apart from the disruption of the victim’s daily routine, the thought that the perpetrators may not be caught anyway or, worse, that cops may be involved deters crime reporting.

Effective law enforcement requires an accurate picture of the peace and order situation. The upside of the underreporting is that the Philippine National Police is going after those who were found to have sanitized their reports. The PNP cannot afford to have peace and order by press release.