PNP urged to deploy more cops in Kalibo
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL / Panay News

KALIBO, Aklan - Senior Sangguniang Bayan member Mark Quimpo is urging the Philippine National Police (PNP) to assign more uniformed personnel in the capital town of Aklan.

The deployment of cops in the streets, he said, would reduce the number of crimes and to augment the 39-strong personnel of Kalibo police station.

"Kalibo is classified as an urban area and a tourist haven drawing tourists from cities and provinces. It is imperative that the Kalibo PNP should have the right number of police to maintain the peace and order situation," said Quimpo, current chairman of the Committee on Peace and Order and Public Safety.

Senior Insp. Arnolito Laguerta, Kalibo police chief, also noted the lack of required personnel to effectively deliver the police services throughout the 16 barangays of this town.

Laguerta said the current police to population ratio of 1:200 is below the standard of one police officer for every 500 civilians.

Forty nine cops from the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 were deployed for six months to beef up the security for the Christmas season and the famous Kalibo Ati-Atihan Festival.

"The town, being a first-class municipality, needs at least 200 police officers for a daytime population of 100,000, to protect the citizenry. The present active force of 39 personnel is a far cry from the ideal police to population ratio of 1:500," Quimpo said.

With this severe lack of manpower, Quimpo also encouraged civic organizations and clubs to support his proposal to the PNP for the deployment of available police officers to increase visibility.

Kalibo police station was cited by the United States Department of Justice International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) for completing the Model Police Station (MPS) Development Program – Tier Two for police officers.