Junk the crime index reports

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

TWO months ago, the province was again fed by the provincial and city/town police chiefs with their respective self-serving and illusory crime indices. Every police chief in the province, led by then Provincial Director Sr. Supt. Rosueto Ricaforte, crowed about improved peace and order under their respective watch, citing lower statistics for specific crimes.

What was left unsaid by the reported indices of the police was the fact that these were the crimes perpetrated in spite of their presence and operations, and yet made to appear that it was all that criminal minds could do during their watch. The main impression the cop chiefs obviously want to give is: lower crime index equals improved peace and order, equals improved police efficiency. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The truth is, the ballyhooed crime index only reflects crimes recorded in police blotters. It does not speak of the ability of police to prevent the commission of crime nor ability, efficiency or capability of the police to solve crimes that would assure communities that there is peace and order.

*      *       *       *      *

With the exit of Mr. Ricaforte, a low achiever, the provincial board (and city/town sanggunian) can do the province a good turn if his successor and all town chiefs will henceforth be required to report details of the following in lieu of traditional crime indices:

1.       How many suspects had been arrested in cases entered into the police blotters? How many arrest warrants were served and how many were not? How many police operations succeeded in the conviction of arrested suspects? How many failed?

2.       How many raids were conducted vs. illegal gambling, illegal drug trafficking, loose firearms, political armies? Who were and how many were arrested and convicted or acquitted?

3.       How many suspected robbers, rapists, murderers, hired killers were arrested as a result of police intelligence operations?

4.       How many police personnel were charged for involvement in reported crimes, for abuse of authority, etc…? How many were rewarded and promoted for outstanding performance?

5.       How many police chiefs were affected by the Strike One policy?

6.       How many police personnel were killed and injured in the performance of their duties?  

7.       What resources were missing that contributed to failed police operations? What logistical support would the police station need to improve efficiency?

Such data not only provide opportunities for LGUs to have a more realistic assessment of peace and order situation but also help LGUs determine necessary logistical support for the police stations in the province. The qualitative data information would also do justice to the men and women in the police force who risk their lives daily.

So junk the traditional crime index report. It only points to efficiency in maintaining police blotters.

*      *       *       *      *

HELP CLEAR THEIR NAMES. Now that the Dagupan City budget has been approved, (and parts of it have been vetoed by Mayor Benjie Lim), the city council should be able to move on to matters that were left pending and unacted upon.

Let’s start with the invitation to the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct its own probe on the alleged forgeries and fake documents that were used by ritzy squatters for the right to occupy premium beachfronts along the Tondaligan Beach.

The squatters remain in their areas notwithstanding discovery of their illegal status by the city hall, the Dagupan Electric Corp. and the sanggunian. Wonder of all wonders (or should we actually stop wondering?) after Mr. Lim and City Administrator Vlad Mata vehemently denied they had a hand in the issuance of the fake documents, and after announcing that an internal investigation would be conducted, no further official action had been taken. By their muted actions, it would appear that the signatures on the alleged documents were, indeed, genuine, and that they issued the clearances to the affluent squatters in the area in clear violation of national laws!

The city council can help clear the Lim-Mata partnership of any culpability if it paves the way for NBI to investigate and make results public. Without any official investigation clearing the Lim-Mata duo, the burden lies with the latter to prove that they had nothing to do with the illegal sale of the premium lots worth millions.

I don’t think the Lim-Mata duo deserve a notoriety to be known as political racketeers of all times all because there was no NBI investigation that cleared them.

*      *       *       *      *

Then there are the unaccounted revenues from the recent organization of the Dagupan City Fiesta.

Liga ng mga Barangay Chairman Guillermo Vallejos and SK chairman Chester Gonzales have not been confronted by their peers at the city council to account for the revenues they received in their capacity as hermano mayor and deputy hermano mayor, respectively.

The two must be given every opportunity to clear their names amid rumors that they pocketed the millions collected in their names from the various activities held during the month-long fiesta last year.

It’s time for the sanggunian to start sweeping the filth out from the rug.

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments