Community Policing: Answer to SDG 16

by: Byron Filog Allatog

The National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) recently celebrated its 55^th Founding Anniversary last September 10, 2021 and now meeting its new challenge of a better normal.

CSOP or Community and Service-Oriented Policing, was established by the commission through NAPOLCOM Resolution No. 2015-342 with the primary objective to empower the Philippine National Police (PNP) to perform its role as a community and service-oriented agency through the adoption of the CSOP system involving the Local Government Unit (LGU), Community and the Police as mandated by law under RA 6975 and as amended by RA 8551. Constitutionally speaking, the law is well-aligned, a police force that is national in scope and civilian in character; maintained and administered by the NAPOLCOM.

CSOP, a modern community policing approach in the Philippines, is definitely on the right track but still filled with obstacles. Like in many other countries, police units are climbing the ladder in making the best of their community policing to make it a priority to address or solve community issues. The findings of Mendoza et al. (2020), “the formal organizational culture on paper appears sound; yet parts of it may be too rigid and may have failed to adapt in pace with the challenges faced by the PNP and its officers.”

Scholars, academe, and policing practitioners agree on the same thing, that this modern policing approach is on top of the line that establishes a common ground where empowerment, partnership, and inclusivity work within the LGU, Police, and Community to attain peace and security for sustainable development. CSOP is a whole-of-community approach that bolsters the United Nations’ SDG 16 for a peaceful and inclusive society for sustainable development. It provides access to justice for all and builds effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels, especially the PNP.

On the other hand, Executive Order 70 (EO 70) institutionalized the whole-of-nation approach to attain inclusive peace and development. It aimed to end the fifty-year local communist armed conflict in the Philippines by adopting a national peace framework. EO 70, like the CSOP underscores the essence of participatory governance, where community partnership or involvement is critical in developing sustainable peace.

The CSOP and EO 70 reaffirmed the importance and effectiveness of a whole-of-community or whole-of-nation approach instead of purely law enforcement and military option in combating criminality and terrorism, respectively. Both reframed and refocused government approaches by addressing the root causes of crimes and insurgency by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of essential services and social development packages to the communities.

In conclusion, to attain sustainable peace and security in the communities, CSOP needs to be recalibrated and reinforced by the PNP organization before petitioning the support of the LGUs and the community. It must be enforced by heart and taught in police schools and the police academy first, not just written on paper. Not until we understand and agree on the concept will we remain fighting on the frontlines on criminality and terrorism alone and SDG 16 elusive.

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the position of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or the Philippine Government.

CSOP101 is a professional learning site for community policing advocates, practitioners, and supporters in changing the policing landscape. It is likewise an issue-based, related to or addressing nation-building. The views expressed within individual blog posts (police blog and academic) are those of the author and do not reflect any official position or that of the author’s employers. Any concerns regarding this blog post or resources should be directed in the first instance to byron.allatog012@gmail.com.