Singapore to adopt Metro’s ‘Magic Eye’

The Singaporean government is adopting the text-based crime reporting scheme of the Metro police force in its own anti-crime campaign as it asked the Arroyo administration to provide information on how it is implementing the use of mobile phones in seeking assistance from the authorities against bomb threats, theft and other crimes in the streets, Metro police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco said yesterday.

Velasco said Interpol Singapore, in an e-mail, requested the Philippine government to brief them on how the Magic Eye Txt Patrol 2910 works.

"The Police Technological Department of Singapore Police is currently seeking for new investigative capabilities and is interested to learn more about this technology from the Philippine National Police. As such, we would appreciate if you could provide us with more information on this technology, more details of the backroom processes and how this service have been embraced by the members of the public and also any other relevant information," IP Singapore said in its e-mail.

The Metro police chief said Txt Patrol 2910, which was launched Oct. 30, has been published in The Straits Times recently and has been receiving favorable feedback.

"I thanked the Interpol Singapore emergency situation that needs immediate police action.

Magic Eye has led to the busting of criminal syndicates in the city and the arrest and dismissal of a number of bad cops, Velasco said.

When proven effective in Metro Manila, the scheme will be expanded to nearby regions and eventually all regions reached by the wireless phone technology, police officials said.

Meanwhile, at least 200 police recruits took their oath yesterday as new members of the NCRPO.

During simple rites at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig yesterday, Velasco welcomed the new policemen and advised them to stay focused in performing their sworn duty of serving the public

He said some 1,367 applicants had reported for initial screening but only 200, 20 of them women, passed the interview and screening and were notified of their inclusion to the NCRPO only before midnight Sunday.

"The recruits, underwent physical and neurological examination before they were accepted into the service," Velasco said.

Following their oath-taking, the new police officers will undergo basic training on law enforcement after which they will be assigned to the five police districts of Metro Manila. They were automatically given the rank of Police Officer 1 (PO1) and would receive P12,500 monthly basic salary. – Non Alquitran