Deployment of auxiliary police starts today
Armed with a nightstick, tear gas and handcuffs, the 100 police auxiliaries hired by the Iloilo city government start their tour of duty today after completing a one-month training. They will serve as force multiplier to the current police force of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).
ICPO director Sr. Supt. Melvin Mongcal said the police auxiliaries will be deployed among the six districts in the city. They will be distributed depending on the area and number of population of each district.
The police auxiliaries graduated yesterday in a ceremony at the Division of City Schools Social Hall.
The auxiliaries will actively assist the police in maintaining peace and order, help in the community service and assist in disaster relief and rescue operations. The auxiliary police will be deployed in two shifts, said Mongcal.
To distinguish them from the traffic auxiliaries, the auxiliary police will be sporting a combination of brown and chocolate uniform.
Mongcal said they will not be issued firearms rather they will be provided with baton or nightstick as their weapon. The auxiliaries have underwent arnis training and self-defense training prior to their deployment. They will also carry with them flashlights.
The ratio of the deployment is 1:3 or one organic policeman for every three police auxiliaries. There would be rotation on the assignments of the auxiliary police. After one month, they would be transferred in other assignments, said Mongcal.
The renewal of the police auxiliary contract depends on their performance. They were hired by the city government on a contractual basis. The city has allotted millions of pesos for the salaries of the police auxiliary. Aside from their monthly salaries, they will receive benefits from GSIS and PhilHealth.
Most of those who were hired are graduates of Criminology courses and four-year courses. Applicants for the police auxiliary passed the qualifying examination, interview and training before they were hired by the city government.
The hiring of police auxiliaries was conceptualized by Mongcal after he assumed as the city police director. The hiring of police auxiliaries as multiplier force is patterned in Manila.