The Philippine National Police (PNP) is pushing for stronger crime prevention efforts through the participation of the academe in focusing on values formation and peace and order awareness initiatives.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. said the agreement signed between the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and the Department of Education (DepEd) for instance strengthens the role of schools in shaping discipline among the youth as schools become key fronts in keeping communities safe.
“This collaboration is a strong step forward because it strengthens preventive approach in schools. It aligns education and law enforcement for a long-term impact, especially in preventing potential crimes involving the youth,” said Nartatez.
Napolcom earlier disclosed that it partnered with the DepEd to integrate safety awareness, anti-drug campaigns, and anti-bullying programs in schools.
On the part of the PNP, it has long flagged youth involvement in petty crimes, online exploitation, and gang activity, pushing learning institutions to adopt a more proactive stance rather than relying on police response after incidents occur.
“We in the PNP believe that peace and order is not an exclusive job for the police, keeping the streets and communities safe requires a whole-of-community effort that includes our academic institutions,” said Nartatez.
The PNP plans to increase its visibility around campuses and train more officers in child protection and crisis response and Nartatez believes that a well-guided youth sector is the key to long-term stability in the country.
“We expect this to improve peace and order because the more we guide our youth properly, the lower the chance of youth involvement in violations of existing laws. Crime prevention also starts in schools, and this where we should focus in discipline and awareness,” he noted.
The PNP said it would support the partnership by training officers in child protection and crisis response. Police visibility near schools will also increase during peak hours while youth engagement programs will be expanded covering anti-drugs, anti-bullying, and online safety.
Nartatez said the long-term goal is safer communities: “The long-term impact of this partnership is safer communities. Through this partnership, we will be more proactive instead of reactive in addressing threats to public safety.”