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BY MAE SINGUAY
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Friday, October 6, 2017
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BACOLOD City – Apparently the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) needs more money to effectively address crimes.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod offered to look for more funding and plans to encourage Mayor Evelio Leonardia to lend his intelligence fund to the local police.
BCPO acting director Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky made the disclosure when the city councilors convened as a committee of the whole on Wednesday.
They discussed the rising number of crimes, including holdups perpetrated by riding-in-tandem and gun-wielding suspects, vehicle theft, picking pockets, snatching, and akyat-bahay.
The city council has decided to work as a committee of the whole and not rely on the committee on peace and order in tackling such crimes.
Aside from Wanky, the BCPO’s 10 chiefs of police and several barangay captains attended the meeting with the councilors.
Budgetary constraints are among the problems hampering BCPO operations, Wanky said.
Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairman of the appropriations and finance committee, said they will look into possible sources of funding.
But from what they know, Distrito said, city hall allocates P4.5 million for the BCPO on top of the P6 million from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. fund, which is intended for the police’s gasoline and repairs allowances.
Moreover, Leonardia may be asked to provide his intelligence fund to the police, said Distrito.
The mayor “has not used it for several years,” said the councilor.
While Leonardia is amenable to it, the idea may face legal hurdles – the Department of Budget and Management mandates that only the mayor is allowed to use his intelligence fund – Distrito said.
For now the BCPO may increase police visibility and intensify checkpoints and vehicle and foot patrols, he said./PN
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