PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Police General Nicolas Torre III announced Wednesday, June 4, plans to close down police boxes and police community precincts (PCPs), shifting the primary method of public emergency response to 911 calls.
General Torre explained the decision during a Palace briefing, stating that many police boxes and PCPs lack the necessary equipment and facilities for effective investigations.
He emphasized that officers stationed at these locations often remain idle, waiting for calls for assistance. “The initial system will involve the closure of police boxes and PCPs that you see,” Torre said. “We will close them because if there are no investigations happening in those precincts, then there’s no point.”
Under the new system, police officers will be deployed to patrol streets, responding to emergency calls received through the 911 system. The PNP aims to provide a response time of five minutes or less.
“The police will be on your phones. Dial 911, and they will arrive within five minutes,” Torre assured the public. The PNP anticipates that the 911 system will become the primary means of seeking police assistance, rendering the existing police boxes and PCPs obsolete.
