By Jennifer P. Rendon
The work of police officers goes beyond preventing and solving crimes.
On top of working with communities to resolve crime, they are also expected to assist the local government in the delivery of basic services to the citizenry and improving quality-of-life issues.
This is the idea behind the Community and Service Oriented Policing (CSOP).
On Sept 29, 2020, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) conducted a 2-day CSOP seminar at its headquarters in Camp Delgado, Iloilo City.
42 officers from PRO-6 and national support units took part in the training that will orient the participants on how to strengthen the relationship between the police and the community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CSOP is “a philosophy of policing in which police officers work closely with the community and the local government by developing a sense of the character of the neighborhood through regular and informal contacts with residents and institutions in the area.”
It was borne with the premise that there must be “close, mutually-beneficial ties among the local authorities, the police and community members.”
The seminar was done in coordination with the National Police Commission-Region 6 that also provided lecturers for the seminar.
“At the end of this seminar, we expect more community engagements and strengthened coordination with the local government units,” Police Brigadier General Patrick Villacorte, PRO-6 deputy regional director for administration, said.
Just recently, PRO6 revitalized the deployment of “Pulis sa Barangay” which calls for a need of the CSOP seminar.
Villacorte said they look forward that the police, in coordination with the LGU and the community, could formulate strategies that are both inclusive and sustainable in line with PRO-6 strategic direction and one of the PNP Chief’s 9-point agenda: strengthening of the Bayanihan Spirit, which is embedded in the CSOP seminar.
