LEA-1POLICE ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION WITH

POLICE PLANNING
POP SHEETS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION
LEA-1 POLICE ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION WITH POLICE PLANNING
Law Enforcement Administration (LEA)

The course deals with the study of principles underlying police organization and
management with particular focus on the Constitutional mandate, Republic Acts
6975 and 8551, and previous laws and issuances relating thereto.

It includes the organizational structure and organization of the Philippine National

Police, on the national and local levels.
Emphasis is given on direction, supervision, coordination and control of all local
police forces as a homogeneous body under a single command.

It also includes the basic management functions in so far as these are applied to the
police organization.
Police planning is integrated into this course, and it is designed to equip the students
with knowledge on the development of effective plans, particularly on strategies and
tactics for effective operations.

The emphasis is on the special techniques and procedure applicable to unusual

needs like unusual criminal activities, civil disturbances, special community events,
disaster plans, and civil defense.

Introduction:

The organization with management and administration is directed towards the

achievement of goals and objectives.

Goals are broad statements of general and long term organizational purposes often
used to define the role of the police, for instance, to prevent crime, maintain order
or help solve community problems. Objectives are specific short term statements
consistent with an organizations goal.

The organization guides members in its operation of the assigned duties. It

enhances better administration of the department. Good organization and
administration would eventually mean effective and efficient police work.
Organization can also distinguished by their degree of formality and structure:

1. Formal Organization-is defined as those organizations that are formally

established for explicit purpose of achieving certain goals. (Stable social institutions.)

2. Informal Organization- are those sharing the basic characteristic of all

organizations arise through the social interactions of individuals or through family
grouping.

What is Organization?
It is a form of human association for the attainment of goal or objective.

It is the process of identifying and grouping the work to be performed, defining and
delegating responsibility and authority establishing relationships for the propose of
enabling people work effectively.
What is Police Organization?

Police organization is a group of trained personnel in the field of public safety

administration engaged in the achievement of goals and objectives that promotes
the maintenance of crimes.

Administration of Police Organization - It is the systematic structure of

management of a police organization.

What is Police?

Police is a branch of the criminal justice system that has the specific responsibility
of maintaining law and order and combating crime within the society.

The term police are derived from the word POLITIA, meaning condition of a state,
government and administration, POLITIA organization is from the Greek
word POLITEIA which means government, citizenship, or the entire activity of a
POLIS, a city.

POLICE (broadest sense) means the internal organization or regulation of a state,

the control and regulation of a community or state through the exercise of the
constitutions power of the government.

POLICE (less broadest sense)it denotes the power of the government which
concerns the tranquility, public order, peace, security of persons and property and
the protection of the public health and moral.

In the very restricted sense, the word police refer exclusively to that body of armed
men which as an institution is capable of exercising its duties by armed physical
forces in the preservation and detection of crime and the execution of laws.

Police Activities:
1. The prevention of Criminality.
2. Repression of Crime.
3. Apprehending of offenders.
4. Recovery of Property.
5. Regulation of Non-Criminal Conduct.
6. Performance of Related Miscellaneous Service.
The organization of the police force commonly requires the following organizational
units:
Functional Units:

1. Bureau - the largest organic functional unit within a large department. It

comprises of numbers of divisions:

2. Division - a primary subdivision of a bureau.

3. Section -functional unit within a division that is necessary for specialization.

4. Unit -functional group within a section; or the smallest functional group within an
organization.

Territorial Units:

1. Post - a fixed point or location to which an officer is assigned for duty, such as a
designated desk or office or an intersection or cross walk from traffic duty.It is a
spot location for general guard duty.

2. Route -a length of streets designated for patrol purposes. It is also called LINE
BEAT.

3. Beat - an area assigned for patrol purposes, whether foot or motorized.

4. Sector - an area containing two or more beats, routes, or post.

5. District-a geographical subdivision of a city for patrol purposes, usually with its
own station.

6. Area- a section or territorial division of a large city each comprised of designated

districts.

Other Items and Terminologies

1. Sworn Officers-all personnel of the police department who have oath and who
posses the power to arrest.

2. Superior Officer- one having supervisory responsibilities, either temporarily or

permanently, over officers of lower rank.

3. Commanding Officer- an officer who is in command of the department, a

bureau, a division, an area, or a district.

4. Ranking Officer- the officer who has the senior rank in a team or group.
5. Length of Service- the period of time that has elapsed since the oath of office
was administered. Previous active services may be included or added.

6. On Duty - the period when an officer is actively engaged in the performance of

his duty.

7. Off Duty - the nature of which the police officer is free from specific routine duty.

8. Special Duty -the police service, its nature, which requires that the officer be
excused from the performance of his active regular duty.

9. Leave of Absence- period, which an officer is excused from active duty by any
valid\acceptable reason, approved by higher authority.

10. Sick leave -period which an officer is excused from active duty by reason of
illness or injury.

11. Suspension - a consequence of an act which temporarily deprives an officer

from the privilege of performing his duties as result of violating directives or other
department regulations.

12. Department Rules- rules established by department directors\superiors to

control the conduct of the members of the police force.

13. Duty Manual -describes the procedures and defines the duties of officers
assigned to specified post or position.

14. Order – an instruction given by a ranking officer to a subordinate, either:

a. General Order,
b. Special, or
c. Personal

15. Report - usually a written communication unless otherwise specifies to be

verbal reports; verbal reports should be confirmed by written communication.

Nature of Police Organization

The police department is truly a complex bureaucracy. It is mostly a multi-level

organization, organized in the form of a pyramid with the top-level administrator
being the chief of police.

At the bottom level of the organization, one finds the patrolman or line officer.

The patrol officer is the backbone of the police department.

The lowest level worker found in many, if not most, complex organizations who
usually performs the routine, repetitive kind of work necessary to keep the
organization functioning.
The police department by its very nature places the line officer in a position where
he is a decision maker and manager of his area of responsibility from the first time
he is given a beat to patrol.

There are indeed few agencies in which the efficiency and parameter of the law
enforcement functions are vested in those individuals quite likely have the least
amount of experience and expertise in the organization.

Types of Police Organizational Structures

An organizational structure is a mechanical means of depicting, by an

arrangement of symbols,the relationships that exist between individuals, groups, and
functional relationships between groups and individuals clearly defined to ensure
accountability and compliance.

Line Organization
The straight line organization, often called the individual, military or departmental
types of organization, is the simplest and perhaps the oldest types; but it is seldom
encountered in its channels of authority and responsibility extends in a direct line
from top to bottom within the structures, authority is definite and absolute.

While the line type of organization has many advantages, it also has some inherent
weaknesses which, for many organizations, make its use impractical.

Perhaps its greatest advantages it that, it is utterly simple. It involves a division of

the work into units of eight people with a person in charge who has complete control
and who can be hold directly responsible or accountable for result, or lack of them.

Quick decisions can be made in the line organization because of the direct lines
authority.

Because of these direct lines, each member in the chain of command knows to
whom he is clearly fixed.

Discipline is administered in this type of the organization.

Responsibility for making decisions is well identified. Singleness of purpose is

fostered.

Coordination of effort is relatively easy to achieve because functional overlapping in

between units, a prime cause of friction in any organization can be minimized.

Functional Organization

The functional organization in its pure form is rarely found in present day
organizations, xcept at or near the top of the very large organizations.
Unlike the type of structure, those establishment organized on a functional basis
violate the prime rule that men perform best when they have but one superior.

The functional responsibility of each functional manager is limited to the particular

activity over which he has control, regardless of who performs the function.

Coordination of effort in this type of organization becomes difficult since the

employees responsible for results may be subject to functional direction of several
persons.

Discipline is difficult to administer because of this multi-headed leadership.

There may be considerable conflict among the functional administrators, resulting in

much conclusion among line personnel.

Line of authority and responsibility are fragmented into many functional channels,
making each superior responsible to several superiors depending upon the function
he happens to be performing.

The functional organization in its purest form is rarely found in present-day

organization except at or near the top level.

Advantages

1. divides responsibility and authority between several specialists;

2. Functional responsibility is limited to the particular activity over which he has

control regardless of who performs the functions.

Disadvantages

1. Coordination of effort becomes difficult;

2. Discipline is difficult to administer;

3. Conflict among the functional administrators.

Line and Staff Organization

The line and staff organization is a combination of the line and functional types.

It combines staff specialist such as the criminalists, the training officers, the research
and development specialists, etc. channels of responsibility is to think and provide
expertise for the line units.

The line supervisor must remember that he obtains advice from the staff specialist.

In normal operations, the staff supervisor has line commands but with recognized
limitations such as coordination between line and staff personnel can be achieved
without undue friction.

Failure to recognize these line and staff relationship is the greatest and most
frequent source of friction and a barrier to effective coordination.

The advantage of this kind would be- it combines staff specialistor units with line
organization so that service of knowledge can be providedline personnel by
specialist.

POLICE SERVICE

Fundamental Theories of Police Service

1. The Continental Theory - police are servant of higher authorities and the
people have little or no share at all in their duties, nor any direct connection with
them.

2. The Home Rule Theory - policemen are considered as servants of the

community who defend for the effectiveness of their function upon the express
wishes of the people.

Concepts of Police Service

1. Old Concepts -this old philosophy means throwing more people in jail rather
than keeping these out jail. Punishment is the sole instrument of crime control. They
yardstick of efficiency of the police is more on arrests.

2. Modern Concept -police service today has broadened its activities to include
certain aspect of social service for the welfare of the people. Their yardstick of
efficiency is the absence of crime.

All police function and activities can be categorized as their line or non-line. Line
functions are those tasks that directly facilitate the accomplishment of organizational
goals, whereas non-line functions are those tasks that supplement the line its task
performance.

Line activities are further broken into the sub-categories: primary line and secondary
line functions, both of which are field service.

1. Line Function

1.1. Primary Line Function

The primary line function is police patrol; that is the patrol activities of a police
organization are considered basic and the first priority.
The patrol division has the initial responsibility for crime prevention and dictation of
the apprehension of offenders.

It also assists in the preparation in the facts for presentation in a court of law.

Theoretically, if the patrol force were 100 percent effective in the execution of its
assigned tasks, the need for specialized units (traffic and detective) would be
eliminated.

The patrol function is accurately called the backbone of the police service.

1.2. Secondary Function

Historically, police department were established only as police patrols, however as

municipalities increased in population, area, and technology (for example, the
invention of the automobile), the burden of this patrols was greatly increased.

The department, were unable to provide additional personnel because of budgetary

limitations, were unable to increase the number of the officers on the patrol beat in
proportion to the rising population and rate of crime and was force to enlarge each
officers beat.

2. Non-Line Function

Simply put, non-line functions are those services that support the line.
Whereas the line provides services directly to the citizens, non-line activities help the
line to accomplish its primary task.

Traditionally non-line or support activities consist of two major categories: staff and
auxiliary services.

2.1. Staff Services

These activities that have the responsibility and personal development and
department management are staff services.

Personal development includes recruitment, selection, training, and supervision.

Budget, planning and research, inspection, and similar activities fall under the
heading of managerial activities.

2.2. Auxiliary Services

All non-line not regarded as staff service are classified as auxiliary services.

Typically, they provide support service of both a technical and non-technical nature
to both line and non-line activities.
Polygraph examiner, photographer, fingerprint and crime scene technicians, and the
police laboratory are technical auxiliary services that support the line activities.

The jail and the communication system and non-line (staff) activities.

Some activities are extremely difficult to classify as either the staff or auxiliary.

In many instances they perform a dual service. Police community relation units,
although performing secondary line service, may be designated as an auxiliary or
even a staff function.

LINE FUNCTION

Primary Secondary Staff Auxiliary

-Patrol
-Criminal Investigation
-Vice Investigation
-Planning and Research
-Inspection
-Police record System
-Identification service
-Traffic Regulation and control
-Crime Prevention
-Personnel Administration
-Training
-Budgeting Control
-Purchasing
-Public Relation
-Property control
-Communication
-Crime Laboratory
-Jail-Supply
-Transportation
-Maintenance

PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATION

To understand the organization and operation of public departments certain general

basic principles of organization must be understood.

These principles of organization were generated by the experience of industry,

business, and the military services.

They have no absolute values, but they do provide a check list against which an
organization can be structurally and functionally evaluated.
This notion will become more defined as each principle is considered.

Division of Labor

For a police organization to be effective, work assignments must be designed so that

similar tasks, functions, and activities are given to an individual or group for
accomplishment.

Police functions are sub-divided into units that are described as follows:

1. Branch -usually the largest unit within station

2. Division – part of the branch having a department-wide function

3. Section -basically one of the several functional elements of a division

Unity of Command

Unity of command requires that an individual be directly accountable to only one

superior. No person can effectively serve two superiors at a given time.

Chain of Command
Primarily this principle provides for the vertical movement of authority up and down
established channels in the organizational hierarchy.

To illustrate this concept, consider a directives originating in the office of the patrol
chief intended for the patrol force (downward movement).

Two levels of authority fall between the patrol chief and the patrol officer inspector.

Because both levels are held responsible for various aspects of patrol supervision,
both must be aware of such directives.

If either supervisor is by-passed, that one can not beheld accountable for the lack
of knowledge.

Further, performance of supervisory duties is greatly hindered, and potentially

serious problem is created.

Delegation of Responsibility and Authority

There must be a clear line of normal authority running from the top to bottom of
every organization.

Ultimate authority and responsibility for a police organization lies at the top of the
chain of command-with the chief.
 However, if a subordinate is to be held responsible for the accomplishment of a
given task, he or she must be given the authority to carry out those responsibilities.

It is important, also the responsibility and the authority be clearly defined.

If the patrol officers are given the responsibility for evaluating police response time
on a given day or in a specific situation, the officer must be given the authority to
procure the communication logs from the communication center.
Without this authority, the entire task cannot be accomplished.

Delineation of Responsibility and Authority

A clear-out delineation of responsibility and authority is essential to prevent

confusion of lines of authority.

If responsibility and authority are not clearly defined, conflicts, duplication and
overlaps of function lead to confusion and inefficiency.

Each officer and each organization segment of authority delegated to accomplish the
job.

Span of Control
The number of officers or units reporting directly to the supervisor should not
exceed the number that can be feasibly and effectively coordinate and directed.

There are an innumerable factor that limits the span control including distance, time,
knowledge, personality, and the complexity of the work to be performed.

It is not unusual to fine fifty or sixty workers to perform identification function

reporting to one supervisor.

On the other hand, as we ascend the chain of command and the diversity of
functions increases, the number of individuals that a police executive supervises
decreases rapidly.

Objective

All organizational elements must contribute, directly or indirectly, to the

accomplishment of the objectives of the enterprise.

Each organizational element should be formed for a definite purpose, and this
purposes must be accomplish the major objective.

Any police function and organizational elements that is not required in the
accomplishment of the overall objectives should be eliminated.

Coordination
The organizational structure must facilitate the development of close, friendly, and
co-operative relations, especially between line and staff activities.

Effective coordination is dependent almost entirely upon adequate communication

among all element of a police organization.

Time

The police service is among the few public services that maintain a twenty-four hour
schedule.
It is necessary to the department to assigned officers in sufficient number to meet
the demands at any given time.

Watch or Shift

A time division of the day to ensure proper allocation of personnel.

Shifts are normally eight consecutive hours, five days, giving an officer a forty-hour
a week.

However, longer working hours and work weeks are common.

Further, shifts frequently overlaps to provide additional personnel during peak
period.

Territory
Territorial distribution is necessary to ensure the availability and general suitability of
the patrol service throughout a jurisdiction. Geographical or territorial divisions of
the department can be described as follows:

1. Post - a fixed or stationary point location (e.g., a specified street intersection,

surveillance site, or an assigned desk or office).

2. Route or Lined Beat- a length of street normally assigned to the traffic and
patrol officers whether foot or mobile. The rout has the characteristics of being
continuous, in a straight line, or the line sight.

3. Beat – a geographical area, once again assigned to either foot or mobile patrol
and traffic officer.

4. Section – two or more beats, routes, posts, or any combination thereof.

Clientele

The distribution of patrol services with respect to the characteristics of the

population served must be recognized and dealt with in contemporary law
enforcement. The development of specialized functional units expresses the principle
of the organization by clientele.

Nature of the Office of a Policeman

A police man must have a mind of a lawyer the soul of a clergyman, the heart of the
social worker, discipline of an army sergeant, the integrity of a saint. He must
believe in a community of law, while seeing little but lawlessness; believe in the
goodness of man, while seeing the man most often at his worst, depend on his
faithfulness, know his jurisdictions like a sociologist, and he must understand people
like a psychologist. He must take long view of life like a philosopher and yet never
losing his common touch.

POLICE OPERATIONS
Police Operation
Another word in the large collection of police service terminology is operations. For
the most part, operation is synonymous with line function. In accordance with
previous definitions, operations are inclusive of both primary and secondary line
functions.

Subdivision of the Operation

Area.

1. District - is a subdivision of a province and shall consist of a metropolitan city or

a metropolitan city and adjacent municipalities\ small cities, or several adjacent
municipalities and small cities.

2. Station -is a subdivision of a district and shall consist of a large municipality or a

small city or municipalities\small city and some adjacent smaller municipalities or
several adjacent municipalities.

3. Sub-station -is a subdivision of a station and shall consist of a large municipality

or small city or a municipality itself.

Operating Unit of a Police Station

1. Patrol Division\Section - shall be responsible for crime prevention; general

preservation of peace and order; crime suppression, and other public safety services.

2. Investigation Division\section - shall be charged with the duty of carrying on

the objectives of criminal investigation, that is, to identify and locate the guilty party
and provide evidence of his guilt through criminal proceedings.

3. Vice Control Division\Section - shall be responsible for the neutralization or

suppression of vices such as gambling, prostitution and drug abuse.

4. Juvenile Division\Section - shall be primarily concerned with children and

youth, the correction and rehabilitation of youth offenders.

5. Intelligence Division\Section - shall work for the detection of syndicated

crimes and subtle criminal activities, including subversion and threats to the security
of the state.

6. Traffic Division \section - shall be responsible from the enforcement of traffic

laws and regulation of traffic. This section is primarily concerned with the motorist
and pedestrians.

7. Homicide Division\Section - shall be charged with the duty to investigate

homicide and murder cases.

8. Municipal Police Sub-station - shall be concerned with the general

maintenance of peace, order and public safety within their respective jurisdictions.
The Municipal Police Sub-station shall consist of two principal sections with
corresponding functions as indicated below:

a. Patrol Section

1. Preservation of peace and order

2. Suppression of criminal activities

3. Crime prevention

4. Inspection activities

5. Enforcement of traffic laws and regulations

6. Fire prevention and control

b. Investigation section

1. Crime investigation

2. vice control

3. Control of juvenile delinquency

4. Custody of prisoners

Peace Officer of Small Police Station

Peace officers of small Police stations are considered as generalist. Most small police
station within the limits of their capabilities, are responsible for all activities in the
fields of law enforcement and public safety. They provide routine patrol, conduct
premise inspection, make criminal and traffic investigations, make arrest, and in
other ways, provide for the community security. In such stations, its members and
officers are by and large generalist.
Historical Background on Policing

Primitive Policing Law enforcement can be traced back to the cave dwellers, who
were expected to follow certain rules or face banishment or death. The customs
depicted in early cave dwelling may represent the beginning of law and law
enforcement. The prehistoric social order consisted of small family groups living
together as tribes or clans. Group living gave rise to customs everyone was expected
to observe. The tribe’s chief had executive, legislative and judicial powers and often
appointed tribe members to perform special task to include guarding the community
against depredation of lawless elements.

Ancient Law Enforcement

The Sumerians

The earliest record of ancient peoples need to standardize rules and methods of
enforcement to control human behavior dates to approximately 2300 B.C., when the
Sumerian rulers Lipithstar and Eshumma set standards on what constituted an
offense against society.

The Babylonians

The Code of King Hammurabi (2100 B.C.) –during the time of Babylonian King
Hammurabi, he established rules for his kingdom that designated not only offenses
but punishment as well. The principle of the code was that the strong shall not
injure the week. Hammurabi originated the legal principle of LEX Talionis- the eye
for an eye, tooth for a tooth doctrine.

Ancient Egypt

The early Egyptians established laws and court and a rudimentary rule of law. The
first account of a developing court system originated in Egypt in approximately 1500
B.C. the court system was presided by judges who were appointed by the pharaoh.
They later organized marine patrols and custom houses to protect commerce.

Ancient Greece

The Greeks had an impressive of law enforcement called the Ephori. Each year at
Sparta, a body of Ephors was elected and given almost unlimited powers as
investigator, judge, jury and executioner. These five men also presided over the
senate and assembly, assuring that their rules and decrees were followed. From the
Greek philosopher PLATO, who lived from 427 to347 B.C., was the idea that
punishment should serve the purpose rather thansimple retaliation.

Ancient Rome

The Romans had a high development system of administering justice. The

12Tabulae (12 tables) were the first written laws of the Roman Empire. It deals with
legal procedures, property ownership, building codes, marriage customs and
punishment for crimes. At the reign of Emperor Augustus, he created
the Praetorian Guard, which consisted of about 7000 men\soldiers to protect the
palace and the City of Rome, together with the Urban Cohorts to patrol the city.
He created the so called Vigiles who were assigned as fire fighters and eventually
given law enforcement responsibilities. As the first civilian police force the Vigiles
sometimes kept the peace very ruthlessly, hence the word vigilantes. Another
important event was the time of Justinian I, ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire
(527 to 265 A.D.) who collected all Roman laws and put it into his Justinian Code-
they became known the Corpus Juris Civilis which means Body of Law.

The Early Policing System

The policing system is divided into different systems namely:

The Anglo-Saxon Period

The Anglo-Saxons were influential in developing the early police forces. The
following are the features of this period:

1. Tun Policing System- Tun is the forerunner of the word town. Under this
system all male residents are required to guard the town and to preserve the peace
and control, to protect life and property from harm or disturbance.

2. Hue and Cry – a system of apprehending a criminal whereby a complaint goes to

the middle of the street and shouts to call all males to assemble. The victim reports
his complaint to the assembly and gives the whereabouts of the perpetrator. All
male residents would then proceed to locate and apprehend the culprit. When
apprehended, trialis conducted giving the culprit a chance to depend himself.

3. The Royal Jude -a person who conducts criminal investigation and gives
punishment. Punishment usually fits the crime committed.

4. Trial by Ordeal- a system of determining guilt and innocence in the ancient

times which was based on painful test of skills. It is usually accompanied by harsh
punishment. For instance, suspects were required to place their hands in boiling oil
or water. When not hurt, it indicated guilt and the suspect placed under punishment.

The Normal Period of Policing (1066-1285)

1. Shire-Rieve System- England at the time of William Norman, divided England

into 55military districts known as the Shire-Rieve. Shire was the district, Rieve was
the ruler who makes laws, pass judgment and impose punishment. He was assisted
by a constable (fore runner of the word constabulary).

2. The Traveling Judge- one responsible in passing judgment which was taken
from the Shire-Rieve inview of some abuses by the Rieves.
3. Leges Henri -the law of King Henrie I. Duringthis period:
a. offenses were classified as against the king and individual
b. police men were considered public officials
c. police and the citizens have the broad power to arrest
d. a grand jury was created to inquire on the facts of the law.

4. The Magna-Carta- laws were enacted upon the demand of the Knights of the
Round Table and forced the king to sign the same. Examples of the principles of law
include the following:
a. no free men shall be taken or imprisoned, disposed or out lawed except by legal
judgment of his peers
b. no person should be tried from murder unless there is proof the body of the
victim
c. Beginning of the national and local government as well as legislation.

The Westminster Period of Policing (1285-1500)

1. The Statute of 1295- this law prescribed the closing of the gates of London at
sundown. Start of curfew systems.

2. Justice of the Peace - this was position which gives a person the power to
arrest, pursue and impose imprisonment.

3. The Star Chamber court - a special court which try offenses against the state.

Modern policing System

This period came to the limelight when a bill creating the Scotland Yard was
passed by the parliament of England. It was sponsored and expanded by Sir
Robert Pell who was made to be the first head of the police organization. He was
referred as the Father of Modern Policing system due to his contributions in the
modernization of the police force. The following are the principles were considered in
organizing and administering the Scotland Yard known as the Peels Principles:

1. Stable and effective police force should be under government control.

2. Absence of crime is the best proof of efficiency.

3. Fast distribution of new to the people is essential.

4. Proper distribution of personnel according to shift and by hour.

5. The best qualification of peace officers is control of temper.

6. Proper selection and training is the basis of efficiency.

7. Police cannot function properly without whole hearted support of the people.
8. Every police must sell himself to the people.

9. Police officers must go out to their way to help or assist the people.

Philippine National Police

The Philippine National Police or PNP is the national police force of the Republic of
the Philippines with a manpower strength of 113,928 as of end-July 2007. It
provides law enforcement services through its regional, provincial, municipal, district
and local police units all over the islands. Created by virtue of Republic Act 6975,
otherwise known as the “Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of
1990", the PNP came into being on January 29, 1991, at Camp Crame, Quezon City,
when the Philippine Constabulary and the Integrated National Police were retired as
mandated by law.

History Early Policing

Organized policing started in 1500s when night men or bantayans patrolled the
streets of Manila. The night men were under the direction of
the alguacilmayor who provided them with muskets as weapons and alarm bells
as their means of communication. In 1836, the Spanish colonial authorities formed
the Cuadrillo, a rural police force, toenforce peace in the countryside. Six years
later, its general function was assumed by the Cuerpo de Carabineros de
Seguridad Publica.

The Carabineros deSeguridad Publica was organized in 1712 for the purpose of
carrying outlaws of the
Spanish government. Native Filipinos served up to the rank of sergeant under the
command of Spanish officers. It was the earlier version of mounted riflemen in the
history of the Philippine police system.
In 1852, the notoriously dreaded Guardia Civil took over peacekeeping duties in
the islands under a Royal Decree. Guardia Civil in the provinces was composed
mainly of Filipinos who worked under the jurisdiction of the alcaldes or mayors. They
followed a military structure and received semi-military training yet lacked other
dimensions of today’s police service.

The capture of General Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the First Philippine Republic,
signaled the start of the American occupation of the Philippines. Maintaining peace
and order, particularly in the countryside, remained the biggest problem of the
Americans.
The Americans failed to subdue the followers of Aguinaldo like Gen. Macario Sakay.
Hostilities continued in Batangas, Mindoro, Cebu, Boholand Samar. A military
solution to the peace and order problem was ruled, hence, the birth of
the Philippine Constabulary.

Pacification Campaigns
To fight rampant lawlessness, the Philippine Constabulary divided the entire country
into constabulary districts. Banditry was rampant in Southern Luzon. Records
referred to the bandits as tulisanes. The style of fighting of the early American
Constables and the bandits was “man-to-man, on foot, and generally by arms and
bolos.”
The American foot soldiers had a hard time repelling the tulisanes in their fight in
the mountains as their enemies were familiar with the terrain. Malaria and cholera
were the diseases that the afflicted the American troops whenever they conducted
foot patrol in the hinterlands.

The Insular Force

The Americans are credited for creating the Philippine Constabulary, the principal
instrument of the civil authorities for the maintenance of peace and order. The PC
began as a small unit—the Insular Force in 1901.

It was set up by virtue of Organic Act No. 175, enacted by the Second
Philippine Commission on July 18, 1901.The Constabulary then was composed
of six thousand men led by American officers and former members of the Spanish
Guardia Civil. Under close American direction and control, it functioned as a military
organization.
Since its formation, the Constabulary had been primarily discharging police law
enforcement and public safety functions. Its officers and men had served with
distinction both in the field of law enforcement and in combating violence and
lawlessness, and in various aspects of public service.

There was even a time in history when they performed the duties of teachers,
sanitary inspectors, midwives, doctors and foresters.

The Philippine Constabulary was mandated as a civilian organization on March 15,

1945 when it was placed under the general supervision of the Interior then later
transferred to the Secretary of National Defense on March 30, 1950.

The Secretary of Interior had supervision over the Constabulary as early

as January 13, 1939 until the outbreak of World War II.As an insular police force,
the officers of the Constabulary carried the civilian title of “inspector.” Its
peacekeeping duty was limited to areas where military rule had been lifted.

The Constabulary At War

The participation of the Constabulary in the dark years of the Second World War
began upon President Roosevelt’s declaration of a state of emergency in the United
States. Manila prepared for war.

The word had been sent: Japan, the Axis power’s ally in Asia, would soon attack the
Far East. Filipinos woke up on the morning of December 8, 1941 to the news that
the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor.
The first war casualties of the Constabulary came from the bombing of Pan-
American Airways installation at San Pedro, Makati in the afternoon of December 8.
Six Constables from the Headquarters Company were wounded.

The next days and months saw relentless Japanese bombings on the country’s
landmarks, airfields and naval bases.

The Death March

The Japanese had taken Manila but were surprised that no defense forces were
waiting to be captured. The Japanese forces then began the siege of Bataan,
ordering four infantry regiments with artillery and tank support to crush the
American and Filipino soldiers.

The Japanese then prepared to transfer the prisoners and surrendered troops to
Camp o’ Donnel in Capas, Tarlac in what has been known as the “Death March.”
Because of torture and starvation, 4,326 prisoners of war died in the infamous
march.

The Postwar Constabulary

The county was left in shambles after the Second World War. Manila was in ruins.
Loose firearms and dead bodies littered the streets. This was also the period when
communist ideology had been propagated in the countryside and hard-line
supporters had been won.

The Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan or Hukbalahap became a force to reckon with

in Central Luzon.

The Hukbalahap was born in Pampanga and was spawned by a feudal land
system in the province dominated by landlords. Pampanga was an “ideal ground” for
the agrarian unrest. It achieved legal status during the Japanese occupation when it
merged with the guerilla forces in fighting the Japanese.

The communist movement, meanwhile, capitalized on the agrarian problems of the

country to cement its presence. Agrarian unrest was prevalent in agricultural lands in
Luzon as well as the sprawling haciendas in the south.

Luis Taruc became a leader of the HMBs and founded his own government in
Central Luzon. It was during this turbulent period that the Philippine Constabulary
was reactivated into the Military Police Command.

Faced with peace and order problems, the Military Police Command was suffering
from its own internal crises.

The last war had killed many Constables. There was a dearth for trained personnel
who would be utilized to address the problems.
Constabulary records showed that there were about 20,000Hukbalahaps in Luzon in
1946. The Military Police Command, on the other hand ,had 23,000 informal
enlistees.

Reorganization

On January 1, 1944, the Military Police Command was dissolved by virtue

of Executive Order No. 94 issued by President Manuel A. Roxas. The
Command’s 12,000 officers and men were absorbed by the newly reorganized
Philippine Constabulary. The revitalized PC was in charge of the country’s peace and
order “except those which were purely military in nature.”

Brig. Gen. Mariano Castañeda became chief of the PC and instituted reforms.
On June 21, 1948, President Elpidio Quirino offered general amnesty to
the Huks. Taruc, who had been elected a member of Congress representing
Pampanga, returned to Manila. But Taruc had no plans to surrender. He only went
to Manila to collect his back salaries and used the money for his comrades’
operations in Central Luzon.

President Ramon Magsaysay was credited for crippling the Huk movement by
mobilizing the Philippine Constabulary. Magsaysay used the “friendly touch” for
winning over the Huks, building roads for them and giving them lands.

The Rise of the Communist Party of the Philippines

The Philippine Constabulary’s attempt to maintain peace and order did not end with
the decimation of the Huks.

On December 26, 1968, Jose Maria Sison, a Political Science student at the
University of the Philippines, founded the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The communist ideology spread through a small discussion group called Kabataan
Makabayan organized by Sison and his colleagues in the middle sixties. Sison then
rose to become the leader of the CPP and organized the military wing of the CPP,
the New People’s Army.

But the communists suffered a crushing blow on January 9,1969 in the hands of the
Constabulary who killed the most number of communist leaders in one encounter in
Orani, Bataan.

The PC Metropolitan Command

The upsurge of mass demonstrations and violence during the latter part of the 60s
and the expansion efforts of the communist movement triggered the creation of the
PC Metropolitan Command.
To quell the unrest, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Executive Order Number
76 on July 14, 1967establishing the PC Metrocom which became the PC’s
striking force as it was authorized to conduct 24/7 patrol in the entire Metro Manila
and was tasked to “supplement or complement local police action in the repression
and prevention of crimes…”
Martial Law and the PC

The Philippine Constabulary took on a pivotal role when President Marcos declared
Martial Law on September 21, 1972.

Marcos mobilized the Constabulary and other major services of the military to
dismantle the “unconstitutional opposition” and to prevent widespread hooliganism
and gangsterism. Convinced that there was a need to restructure the social base
that bred lawlessness, Marcos reorganized the government machinery to effect his
desired changes in the social, economic and political structures.

On March 21, 1974,President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Presidential Decree

421 unifying all the police, fire and jail services in Metro Manila. The move was
significant as it created an elite force, the Metropolitan Police Force that was
placed under the aegis of the PC Metrocom. The decree was also the first step in
fulfilling the constitutionalmandate for an integrated national police force.

The Metropolitan Police Force was tasked to carry out the integration of all police
units nationwide. Brigadier General Prospero A. Olivas, commanding general of
the Metrocom, was assigned the task of launching the pilot project under the
supervision of Fidel V. Ramos and Brigadier General Cicero C. Campos, deputy
Chief for police matters.

General Olivas would have the power and direction over the Metrocom, including
tactical, strategic movements, deployments, placements and utilization of the entire
force and the training thereof.

On August 8, 1975,Marcos issued Presidential Decree No.765 establishing the

Integrated National Police with the Philippine Constabulary as the nucleus and all
police officers as components.

They wereall placed under the supervision of the Ministry of National Defense.

The Creation of the Philippine National Police

The People’s Revolution of 1986 saw the birth of the 1987 Constitution that included
a provision on the PNP which was to be “national in scope and civilian in character.”

In 1991, the Philippine National Police was created with the passage of Republic Act
No. 6975, otherwise known as the“ Department of the Interior and Local
Government Act of 1990.”
The principal authors of the Republic Act 6975 were Senators Ernesto N. Maceda
and Aquilino Pimentel, Congressmen Jose S. Cojuangco Jr. and Rodrigo
Gutang.

Upon its signing into law on December 13, 1990, the PNP underwent a transitory
period;and on 31 March 1991, President Corazon Aquino named General
Cesar Nazareno as the first Director General of the Philippine National
Police.

On January 29, 1991,at Camp Crame, Quezon City, the Philippine

Constabulary and the Integrated National Police were retired officially and
the Philippine NationalPolice was born.

Like any new evolving organization, the PNP suffered from birth pains. To address
these concerns, Republic Act 8551 or the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of
1998 was enacted on February 17, 1998 to amend certain provisions of Republic
Act No. 6975.

This move was in response to the growing clamor to transform the PNP “into a more
responsive, effective and relevant police organization.”

Under this Act, the PNP shall be strengthened and evolved into a highly efficient
police force that is community and service-oriented and fully accountable in the
performance of its action.

Officer
Training Officers for the Philippine National Police are sourced from the Philippine
National Academy as well as through lateral entry, for specialized disciplines and
requirements such as doctors, engineers and other technical positions.

The Philippine National Police Academy is located in Silang, Cavite and is the primary
training school for the PNP.

Recruitment and Training

The PNP conducts regular recruitment programs, depending on annual budget
allocations.

The entry level for non-commissioned officers is the rank of Police Officer 1 or PO1,
with a starting salary of P14, 265.00 inclusive of allowances.

The new recruits undergo Police Basic Recruit Course for six months and a Field
Training Program for another six months prior to deployment to various units.

Republic Act No. 6975 Approved: December 13, 1990

-An Act Establishing the Philippine National Police under a Reorganized Department
of the Interior and Local Government, and for other purposes. PHILIPPINE
NATIONAL POLICE (PNP) The Philippine National Police (PNP) has been established
initially consisting of the following:

a. Members of the police force who were integrated into the Integrated National
Police (INP)pursuant to PD 765;

b. Officers and enlisted personnel of the Philippine Constabulary (PC) which include:

•Those assigned with the Narcotics Command (NARCOM);

•Those assigned with the Criminal Investigation Service (CIS);

•Those of the technical services of the AFP assigned with the PC.

•Civilian operatives of the CIS.

c. Regular operatives of the abolished NAPOLCOM Inspection, Investigation and

Intelligence Branch may also be absorbed by the PNP. In addition, the PNP shall
absorb the Office of the National Action Committee on Anti-Hijacking (NACAH) of the
DND, all the functions of the Philippine Air Force Security Command (PAFSECOM), as
well as the police functions of the Coast Guard.