By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
The strengthened partnership between the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and the Department of Education (DepEd) will boost crime prevention efforts in schools by focusing on values formation and awareness initiatives.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief PGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said guiding the youth lowers involvement in law violations.
“Crime prevention also starts in schools, at doon natin huhubugin ang discipline and awareness,” he said in a news release Sunday.
The partnership builds on existing efforts of Napolcom and DepEd to integrate safety awareness, anti-drug campaigns and anti-bullying programs in schools.
“It aligns education and law enforcement for a long-term impact, especially in preventing potential crimes involving the youth,” Nartatez said.
The PNP has long flagged youth involvement in petty crimes, online exploitation and gang activity, pushing learning institutions to adopt a more proactive stance rather than relying on police response after incidents occur.
“We in the PNP believe that peace and order is not an exclusive job for the police. Keeping the streets and communities safe requires a whole-of-community effort that includes our academic institutions,” Nartatez said.
He said the PNP plans to increase its visibility around campuses and train more officers in child protection and crisis response.
He said more police officers will be trained in child protection and crisis response while increasing their visibility near schools during peak hours.
“The long-term impact of this partnership is safer communities. Through this partnership, we will be more proactive instead of reactive in addressing threats to public safety,” he said. (PNA)
