Sleeping on the job

Photos of two policemen in Cebu City who were sleeping inside their patrol car made rounds in social media recently. The uploader wrote a caption saying good night to both who were assigned to watch General Maxilom Avenue and Fuente Osmeña. The photos were not well received, even to the director of this city’s police office.

In fact, they were sent relief orders pending their investigation. While there will be a probe into the incident, they will be placed in a holding unit. It was a good gesture for local media not to name the two policemen involved as such incident is shameful. However, this is one incident that would not be taken lightly also. The Regional Director in Central Visayas has also reminded all the station commanders to monitor their personnel. They must return to the basics so they would remember key concepts in being law enforcers.

However, I do resonate on the exhaustion of working the night shift. Part of our deployment as news reporters was to also patrol the streets at night. It is ideal to be up all night but the body adapts to its environment. Drowsiness would really kick in and it becomes very tempting to sleep. We sometime take power naps in between roving the city but were quick to respond when there’s an incident.

My question now is the motive of the uploader in taking the photos. Was there an intent to malign the police? Or was it simply her (as she is a female with a now-deactivated account) way of being a good citizen by looking after those who are paid for by taxes? Yet again, if her choice was the latter, she could have done a gesture to wake them up. That would have helped them get on their feet.

We can also question the authenticity of the “sleep” as seen in photo. Was it deep sleep? Or simply just closed eyes or a short nap, perhaps? These questions cannot be answered because the photo can only do so much. I guess we have to factor in responsible usage of our phones and social media. Not everything is worth the clout.

I still commend the PNP for swift action on the matter. Their action has made a statement that they will always hold the public accountable. If indeed, the act of sleeping was made to actually “sleep on the job”, then there is a big problem there that needs to be addressed. It could be overwork, stress, or not being happy with the job at all.

Yet we must also remain vigilant towards people in authority and how they conduct their jobs. Being transparent is good, but some moments occur on a case-to-case basis. I love to refer this to a line in the song “Playing God” by Paramore: “Next time you point a finger, I’ll point you to the mirror.”