MANILA, Philippines – To professionalize the investigative capabilities of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), its Regional Director Allan Purisima has ordered the deployment of those who specialized on the subject to be assigned to all police stations in the region.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Purisima, said that effective March 12, policemen who would like to work in the investigation department of NCRPO police stations should first complete the 45-day Criminal Investigation Training Program.
The specialized course, Purisima said, was to “improve the skills of investigators . . . as crime solution is the most desired service the community expects from its police force” and also “a deterrent against criminal acts”.
“The speedy and exhaustive solution of crimes will now make a would-be-criminal think twice before he commits the act, for fear that he will be caught and caught fast,” he said.
With the course that was launched last year, Purisima said the program provided investigators a guide on the systematic approach in handling criminal investigations of any kind.
Topnotch veteran investigators, lawyers, fiscals and law professors from state universities were invited to handle the different courses of the training program, he said.
Purisima said 1112 students have enrolled since the course was launched – 626 have graduated and 486 are currently taking the course.
He said the program has helped in fast resolution of high-profile cases such as the Ramgen Revilla Murder case, Dentist Abuser case, and some cases of car theft.
Further, the NCRPO chief also said they would re-organize the investigation section of police stations in the region by distributing other tasks that were originally being handled by just one person – photography, crime registry, evidence custodian, among others.
He said other staffs of the investigation department will be assigned as a photographer, technician, crime registrar, evidence custodian, among others.
“What we want to happen here is wala nang mag multi-tasking para pag dating nila sa office, alam nila agad kung anong gagawin nila and at the end of the day, dapat tapos yung gawain,” Purisima said.
“Ang habol pa dito is correct reporting,” he added.
He said they were targeting to build an investigation department that has from 50 to 60 personnel. “So half of every police station will be patrol units and half will be investigators.”
Purisma said there were currently seven investigators assigned to each police station.