Effectiveness of Crime Mapping Activities of Lucena City Police Station as Viewed by Selected Barangay Captains of Lucena City

EFFECTIVENESS OF CRIME MAPPING ACTIVITIES OF LUCENA CITY POLICE STATION AS VIEWED BY SELECTED BARANGAY CAPTAINS OF LUCENA CITY

An Undergraduate Thesis

Presented to the Faculty of

College Criminology and Law Enforcement

Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation

Lucena City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Criminology

By

ARON MARK C. ODI

ERVING ANTENOR

ALVIN MANALO

March 2012

ABSTRACT

This study sought to determine the effectiveness of crime mapping activities of Lucena City Police Station and its implication to crime prevention.

The respondents of this study were ten (10) selected barangay captains-respondents of Brgy. XI, Cotta, Ibabang Talim, Ransohan, Silangang Mayao, Kanlurang Mayao, Mayao Crossing, Bocohan, Ibabang Dupay and Gulang-gulang in Lucena City.

The researchers prepared a questionnaire as a primary tool in data gathering. They relied on books, magazines, premiers, newspaper, and other related sources pertinent to her study. Verbal interviews were also conducted to establish the credibility of her study and confirm some of their thoughts.

Findings revealed that majority of the respondents believed that crime mapping operations help the law enforcers in their efficient performance and work productivity. It was also revealed that majority of the respondents believed that as an adjunct to community policing, crime mapping helped the law enforcers of Lucena to better analyze crime data and understands why and not just where crime is occurring

The researchers also believed that better law enforcement strategy and administration have been implemented in the station to deal with the criminality problem in the city.

It was recommended that the local government units must continue to support the crime mapping operations of Lucena City PNP, as well as other programs and activities pertinent to the maintenance of public safety and community's citizen empowerment

Re-orientation of the program to the local community as well as "maximizing the local people" must also be done in order to make local people be fully aware of their rights and responsibilities.

And lastly, constant negotiation and communication between the people and their local government unit must take place to settle conflicts on contemporary issues affecting their place. This can be done through proper coordination with the proper authorities.

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Felony affects all parts of the country as well as every aspect of community life.. Purse snatching, pick-pockets, fare fraud usually happen at the market, shopping malls, crowded places and even in church. Also, encounters with corrupt policemen as well as insistent beggars are regular episodes of Philippine day-to-day fate.

Despite some improvement in law and order, crime remained a major problem in the Philippines. Police attributed the country's chronic crime problems to a variety of social and cultural factors. Widespread poverty and rapid population growth were frequently cited. Population pressures and a shortage of land and jobs in rural areas had produced a steady internal migration to the cities.

This urbanization of a traditionally agrarian society was commonly mentioned as cause for increased crime rates. In this light, the Philippine National Police particularly the Police Intelligence Unit, Criminal Investigation Unit and the Narcotics Unit all uses crime mapping activities in order to map, visualize, and analyze crime incident patterns in the city.

The Police Intelligence Unit headed by a director with the rank of chief superintendent serves as the intelligence and counterintelligence operating unit of the station. The Criminal Investigation Unit undertakes the monitoring, investigation and prosecution of all crimes involving economic sabotage, and other crimes of such magnitude and extent as to indicate their commission by highly placed or professional criminal syndicates