CHIEF Superintendent John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office (PRO)–Western Visayas is urging the community to take part in the anti-criminality campaign of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Bulalacao, accompanied by Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr., director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), led the simultaneous nationwide kickoff of the 24th National Crime Prevention Week in Talisay City, Negros Occidental on Monday, September 2.
This year's theme is "Mamamayan, sama-samang makialam upang krimen at korapsyon ay hadlangan."
Bulalacao said the theme is fitting as one of the government's major policy in fighting crime and illegal drugs as well as in fighting corruption which is one of the root causes why crime exist.
In order to win the war against criminality, the Police Community Relations (PCR) must work together to achieve a peaceful environment which is free from harm and danger so that our children will enjoy its benefits, Bulalacao said in his speech.
He said that community partnership is absolutely critical in order for community policing efforts to be effective.
Successful partnerships are more than just frequent contact or simply sharing information, he added.
"Kapag alam ng mga criminal na ang mga mamamayan sa isang lugar ay aktibong nagbabanatay laban sa krimen siguradong sila'y titigil at hahanap na lamang ng ibang lugar kung saan nila maaaring isakatuparan ang kanilang masamang balakin (when criminals know that the community is active against criminalities, they will surely stop and look for other place to commit the crime), Bulalacao said.
The PRO-Western Visayas top cop expressed his gratitude to the members of the local government units (LGUs) and the community for the reduction of crimes in the region.
Bulalacao said crimes from January to July in 2018 in the region decreased by 58.6 percent or 3,207 incidents from 7,754 cases recorded covering the same period in 2017.
"We could not have reduced crime to its lowest without your support and cooperation," he said.
By educating our children the simple things to avoid being victimized and by learning and sharing the basic crime prevention tips, we learn from our law enforcers to be vigilant against unscrupulous individuals, he said.
Bulalacao said that organizational transformation which the PNP itself, as well as other law enforcement and government agencies, are adopting also contribute to the effective crime prevention and crime reduction in the region.
This is why we are seriously implementing our policy on internal cleansing to ensure that no rogue cops shall remain in the organization, he added.
We have admonished, demoted, dismissed, and even put to jail a number of police officers and arrested as well other government officials who did not heed the call of President Rodrigo Duterte to reform and stop committing crimes, he said. (GYM)