By Alfonso T. Ruda
DIPOLOG CITY - The Zamboanga del Norte Police Provincial Office (ZNPPO) has recently organized The Provincial Advisory Council (PAC) to ensure adherence of the local police force to the newly created comprehensive plan called the PNP PATROL Plan 2030, aptly known as Peace and Order Agenda for Transformation and Upholding the Rule of Law.
In an organizational meeting called by ZNPPO Provincial Director James B. Mejia at the provincial headquarters in Camp Hamac, Sicayab of this city, businessmen Roland Soliva and Michael Malaca were elected as chairman and vice chairman of the said council, respectively. Other council members are coming from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), business sector, academe, non-government organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations, and the media.
The creation of PNP PATROL Plan 2030 aims to ensure the implementation of the needed reforms of the PNP organization and to make the police force more capable, credible and effective by the year 2030.
In the same gathering, it was also reported that the crime volume in the province increased to 5,787 in 2013 from 2,344 cases in 2012.
It was also learned that the ZNPPO and its municipal police stations lack personnel and mobility, having a total 1,246 personnel only. These personnel are composed of 76 Commissioned Officers, 1,156 Non-Commissioned Officers and 14 non-uniformed personnel, serving more or less 1 million people with only 742 long and 1,173 short firearms.
Moreover, only 36 units of its 72 vehicles and 38 of its 72 motorcycles were serviceable or in running condition.
Amidst this situation the provincial commander hoped that the newly-created PAC will help in monitoring the performance of the police force in the province and came up with appropriate recommendation for an efficient police operation.
Each member expressed their full support to the council in consonance with the very objective of the PNP PATROL PLAN 2030.
Mejia, in his personal commitment, vowed to improve the crime clearance efficiency by 12 percent and crime solution efficiency by 8 percent in 2015 and reduce the street crime rate by 30 percent in 2015.
The newly-elected officers and members of PAC took their oath of office before Director Mejia.
