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The committee on peace and order of the City Council must help the Mayor by formulating a “long range peace and order plan” for the police to implement.

Zamboanga City Police Office could be very effective if properly supported not only in terms of logistical requirements like firearms, communications equipment and transportation facilities but by providing them a “crime prevention plan” attuned to the prevailing peace and order situation.

The City police is well supported by the city government aside from what they get from the national government thru the PNP and could be considered the most well supported among the highly urbanized city police offices by the local government outside of Metro Manila.

The city government of Zamboanga has provided dozens of M16 rifles to the police, radio equipment and transportation without mentioning the cash incentives every organic policeman receives from the city funds in addition to their salaries and allowances from the national government.

Zamboanga City has the lowest policeman to population ratio. In the past one policeman to population ratio in Zamboanga City was 1 policeman for every 1,000 population that was when Zamboanga City has only a population of 500,000 in the 1990’s.

At present the ratio is one policeman for every 550 population  according to the new city police director in a radio interview after his assumption of office.

From all indications the Zamboanga City police office has all the support needed to perform its duty of protecting the life and property of the people of Zamboanga City.

What they lack is direction in the effective employment and development of its forces by following a crime prevention plan applicable in the local level which is unfortunately not available for the past more than a decade that contributes not only to an erratic but deteriorating peace and order.

In the absence of a plan new chiefs of police and city police directors are groping in the dark and they become more reactionary than anticipatory.

Therefore it is mandatory for the local legislative body thru its committee on peace and order to come up with a long range peace and order plan for the City of Zamboanga.

By: Rex Miravite