ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has been adjudged as best in Police Community Relations (PCR) among police offices across the country.
According to ICPO spokesperson, Police Captain Shella Mae Sangrines, parameters in this award included the programs of the police office beneficial to the community such as organizing barangay anti-drug abuse councils and other activities especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Directorate for PCR of the Philippine National Police defines police community relations as a policing system that can be equated with diplomacy such that even the subjects of policing actions view the system as the most acceptable form of police-community interaction to ferret out crimes, do some public safety related police work, or just carry out plain maintenance of peace and order.
The ICPO emerged on top of Santiago City Police Office of Police Regional Office 2 (PRO-2); Angeles City Police Office of PRO-3; Puerto Princesa City Police Office of PRO-4B; Naga City Police Office of PRO-5; Tacloban City Police Office of PRO-8; Zamboanga City Police Office of PRO-9; Iligan City Police Office of PRO-10; Cotabato City Police Office of PRO Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR), and Baguio City Police Office of PRO Cordillera.
Sangrines said among the programs of the ICPO’s PCR were the “We Share We Care, Barangayanihan” (food packs distributed to families when Iloilo City was under a modified enhanced community quarantine), dialogue programs, and “free rides” to those reporting to their offices during the enhanced community quarantine.
The ICPO’s other programs were bloodletting activities, quarantine control points activation, and the “Oplan Banlaw” (renovations and infrastructure development in police offices).
“This is our honor. All our hardships are being paid. We are thankful to our PCR personnel and our city director Police Colonel Garbanzos who spearheaded the ICPO and for supporting our programs and projects,” Sangrines said.
The awarding ceremony will be held today (July 29) and Garbanzos will personally receive the award in Camp Crame.
In 2019, under the leadership of then city director Police Colonel Martin Defensor, the ICPO also received the same national award./PN
