Community-oriented policing to avert crimes —Napolcom

National Police Commission commissioner retired Police Major General Felizardo Serapio Jr. on Wednesday called for a community-oriented policing as a more effective crime prevention effort.

“Traditional policing, we should change it,” Serapio said during the 1st Eastern Police District Advisory Council Summit in San Juan City, Wednesday.

Serapio said the Philippine National Police should change its traditional approach in law enforcement and focus more in knowing, helping and partnering with the community.

This transformative approach, according to Serapio, includes aiding the community to meet their physiological or basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter.

Serapio said most of crimes are rooted from the lack of these needs within the community.

Due to poverty, the Napolcom commissioner said, a tendency of isolation could push one’s mentality to engage not only in criminality but also in violent extremism.

Serapio also pushes for the police to participate first and then coordinate with the local community.

The local community could serve as multipliers expansion for police force—which are limited in number—if they were trained what and how to observe in their areas, Serapio said.

Citing examples, Serapio said that a tricycle driver who knows every resident in his area could prevent casualties when he reports to the police a suspicious stranger walking around in an area with a backpack of explosive device.

But to make this kind of partnership happen, the police should work on the trust and approval from the locals first through community relations efforts, he said. —LDF, GMA News