A draft measure that would require schools, colleges and universities in Quezon City to truthfully report and post the crime rates in the vicinity of their respective campuses is up for review by the city council.
In her proposed “Crime Awareness for Schools, Colleges and Universities Ordinance of 2013,” Councilor Candy Medina of the sixth district said it was urgent that authorities undertake proactive and preemptive measures through a crime awareness campaign to ensure the safety of students.
The measure has been referred by the city council for further study to the committees on education, science and technology; public order and security and illegal drugs; public affairs, mass media information and people’s participation; and laws, rules and internal government.
Medina pointed out that criminals involved in cell phone theft, robbery, picking pockets and abduction usually preyed on students near or even inside their own campuses.
Right to be informed
She said: “The parents, guardians, administrators, school workers and the students of the academic institutions have the right to be informed about the condition within the premises, thus the need for the current crime rate and conditions to be posted for information.”
“And what better way to inform but to [write down the] crime situation and statistics and post [this] in conspicuous areas of the school as well as universities and colleges for the sole purpose of heightening the alertness and vigilance of everyone.”
She added that updated information on the crime rates would enable both the school administration and police to come up with measures to effectively address safety and security concerns on the campus.
Under the proposed measure, each college or department in the schools and universities is to post copies of the updated crime conditions in their campuses specifically on the bulletin board and right outside the enrolment room. The crime situation updates are to remain posted until the end of the school year.
The updated crime situation must include the crimes committed, the date and place of commission as well as the status of the investigation and information on the suspects.
Enrolment procedure
A school or university is to inform the police station commander, under whose jurisdiction the educational institution falls, when the enrolment will be held at least 30 days before the schedule. In response, the station commander is to issue to the school, within 15 days of the notice, a copy of the updated crime rate.
The division of city schools, the Commission on Higher Education local director and the Quezon City Police District are to formulate and issue, within 30 days of its approval, the measure’s implementing rules and regulations and the corresponding administrative penalties for noncompliance with the ordinance.
According to data from the Quezon City government website, there are a total of 373 public and private elementary schools while there are 223 public and private high schools in the city. On the other hand, there are some 90 colleges and universities in the area.