Wanted: Young cops

Leukemia-stricken six-year-old PO1 Allan Mark "Jam-Jam" Mendoza has inspired the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) to recruit "young cops" to help the police force sustain its intensified campaign against street crimes.

Mendoza, who was recently adopted as the youngest member of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said he wanted to become a cop so he can "run after bad people."

Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director Reynaldo Velasco said the boy’s words touched not only him but all the members of the PNP. As such, he embarked on the move to enlist "young people" and the youth in the police anti-crime drive.

"His words definitely boosted the morale and inspired the police corps, showing to us that even young people like him still trust cops and there is pride, honor, and dignity in being a policeman," Velasco said.

He explained young people may not receive symbolical ranks like Jam-Jam, "but they can still be heroes in their own right."

"We will be instilling in them values of responsibility, discipline and involvement in the community and make them better citizens," Velasco said.

The Metro police chief said the idea of recruiting young cops will take off from the "pito-pito" system introduced by Mayor Joey Marquez of Parañaque, where young people have been tapped to literally blow the whistle on street criminals.

He lauded Marquez for the novel and innovative measure he instituted.

Through the adoption of the measure in bigger scale, Velasco explained, the youth can act as members of the junior police or young Magic Eye volunteers, who will be carrying whistles and cellular phones to call the attention of cops to emergencies.

The program is among the measures being eyed by the NCRPO to effectively combat street crimes. Other measures include the proposed imposition of curfew on minors and enhancement of police visibility in crime-prone areas in the metropolis.