Buenafe: "Police Mind" program successful

CEBU, Philippines - Not a single major crime was reported on Monday during the 24-hour stint of more than 20 local reporters who were given the chance to be a police station or special unit commander.

With that, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe considered the Police-Media Interaction day or Police-Mind Program as successful.

Buenafe attributed the success to the intensified anti-criminal operations conducted by the 11 police stations and several special units throughout the city. All police stations were asked to conduct checkpoints and saturation drives in their respective areas of responsibility.

Police-Mind participants headed the police operations through the guidance of their respective police counterparts. 

The CCPO operations division recorded a total of 24 arrests made for various violations - 22 men for gambling, two for illegal drugs, and one for illegal possession of firearms.

Buenafe, during yesterday’s meeting, thanked all the participants. He said what their media partners experienced were the real things the police encounter everyday.

He said the media are their partners in assuring the public that they can have a peace of mind.

Newswriter and broadcaster Chito Aragon, who acted as CPPO director, said that what they achieved with their brief stay as acting chief are now part of the Philippine National Police history.

“We are proud to be part of this,” Aragon said.

Despite criticisms against the Police-Mind program, Aragon said they have proven that they could manage to maintain peace and order.

Buenafe hopes that Police-Mind would be considered as a good police practice replicated in other communities.

As part of the program, media participants gave recommendations to improve the efficiency of the station or unit that they handled for the day.

Broadcaster Paul Lauro, who headed the Mobile Patrol Group (MPG), said that the unit badly needs new vehicles.

“We need to support our police (MPG) because they could not work well without the right equipment,” he said. As a veteran police reporter, he considers MPG as his second family.

The same sentiments were also echoed by the Investigation and Detective Management Bureau (IDMB) who was headed for a day by Arnold Bustamante. He said that despite the huge responsibility given to the IDMB as a special investigation unit, they have no choice but to use their dilapidated vehicles during operations. –(FREEMAN)