SPD: Number of erring cops dropped by 128%

The Southern Police District (SPD) boasted yesterday that the number of its erring police officers decreased by 128 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2016.

Superintendent Jenny Tecson, SPD spokesperson, said 425 police officers were administratively charged in the first quarter of this year compared to 967 police officers during the same period in 2016 – a difference of 542 police officers.

Tecson also said the SPD received “269 administrative case folders” for 967 personnel in 2016, which is 156 or 138 percent higher than the “113 administrative case folders” for the 425 personnel this year.

One case folder may include 10 to 20 police officers, she explained.

Tecson said the pre-charge investigation for the administrative cases filed in 2016 were completed before the end of the first quarter of 2017 while those charges reported this year were completed before August ended.

“This accomplishment is proof of the district’s commitment in responding to President Duterte’s challenge on internal cleansing by polishing the policing system through instilling strong discipline and eradicating hoodlums in uniform and surpassing the expectations of the stakeholders,” she said.

SPD director Chief Superintendent Tomas Apolinario said cleansing their ranks starts with determining the accountability of the police officers reportedly involved in wrongdoings.

He added that they strictly comply with the National Police Commission order limiting a pre-charge investigation to 18 days, excluding weekends and holidays.