ICPO welcomes plan to build four more new police stations

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) welcomed the Iloilo City government’s plan to establish four new police stations.

The local government is eyeing to place these additional police stations in areas with increasing population.

Police Captain Shella Mae Sangrines, ICPO spokesperson, said they fully support the Iloilo City government’s plans.

Mayor Jerry Treñas has earlier said the plan will bring services closer to city residents.

The four stations will be established at Bo. Obrero, Lapuz; Calumpang, Molo; and Sambag and Bito-on, both in Jaro district.

“Hopefully, we will have additional police stations for the convenience of the public,” Treñas said.

The city has six district police stations in City Proper (Iloilo City Police Station 1), La Paz (ICPS2); Jaro (ICPS3); Molo (ICPS4); Mandurriao (ICPS5); and Arevalo (ICPS6).

Except for ICPS1, all other police stations are located near the public plaza.

Sangrines said the plan of establishing more police stations have been in the pipeline for some time already.

If plans push through, Sangrines said they might need more personnel for the additional stations.

Ideally, the police to population ratio should be 1:500.

The ICPO’s police to population ratio is currently at 1:659, if the 2015 population census is to be considered.

The ratio also considered officers assigned to the Iloilo City Mobile Force Company, the ICPO headquarters, the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Unit (TIEU), the ICPO Holding and Accounting Unit, and the Motorized Police Unit.

But given the number of officers in the police stations against the population per district, the number could be higher.

City Proper’s ratio is better at 1:639 while La Paz is 1:1,750; Jaro, 1:1,956; Molo, 1:1,853; Mandurriao, 1:904; and Arevalo, 1:981.

Sangrines said adding more police stations and police officers might somehow ease the ratios.