Supreme Court E-Library
Information At Your Fingertips

Adopted: 10 April 2014
Date Filed: 22 April 2014

1. REFERENCES:

1. CPNP’s Instructions;
2. E. O. 386 entitled “Establishing a National Crime Information System;
3. Standard Operating Procedure Number 2012-001 Incident Recording System (Procedure in Recording Incident Reports in the Police Blotter) dated March 26, 2012;
4. LOI 37/10 (Establishment of PNP Quality Service Lane as a Component of the Model Police Station Project)
5. NAPOLCOM Resolution No. 92-39 entitled “Resolution Adopting a New Crime Reporting Format for the Law Enforcement Pillar”;
6. R.A. 6975 dated December 13, 1990 as amended by R.A. 8551 dated February 25, 1998; and
7. Local Government Code of 1991;

2. RATIONALE:

The validation of crime data conducted by the DIDM in CY 2013 revealed a deliberate under-reporting of crime incidents at the police station level and point shaving activities of some PNP Provincial and Regional Offices. Another observation noted is the tedious process that a complainant or a person reporting an incident or crime has to go through to have his complaint recorded in the Police Blotter. Most often, a complainant has to undergo several interviews by the Duty Officer, the Desk Officer, the Duty Investigator, and finally, the Chief Investigator, and even the Chief of Police. In effect, the client who is seeking assistance has to narrate his plight several times in order for his complaint to be entered into the Police Blotter.

Moreover, given the magnitude and volume of incidents reported daily in the police stations, the procedures in recording crimes vary from one police station to another. Stations devise their own recording system which differs from the practice of other stations, thereby resulting in the inaccuracy in recording and reporting of crime incidents.

It is imperative that the PNP adopts a standard procedure on entering data both the Police Blotter and into the CIRS so that the true crime picture shall be determined, and the services offered by the police to the people in recording complaints shall be done in the most efficient, expeditious and accurate manner.

Hence, in order to establish a uniform procedure for crime recording, the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) developed the PNP Crime Incident Recording System (CIRS) to be adopted by all units in treating reports of crime incidents, arrests, and any other events or activities (CIRS flowchart attached as Annex ‘A’)

The CIRS sets a standard procedure by which all crime incidents are reported to the police stations and stored electronically in a database system. It is capable of filtering non crime data from the system thereby accounting for a more accurate crime statistics. The system promotes consistency in the recording of crime incidents and provides easy access on crime data nationwide. These crime data shall be the working basis for policies and programs on various anti-criminality measures.

3. PURPOSE:

To provide a uniform procedure in recording crime incidents into an electronic database system in all police stations and offices nationwide.

4. DEFINITION OF TERMS:

For purposes of uniformity, the following terms will be operationally defined and used:

1. Crimes are acts or omissions which are in violation of the Revised Penal Code or Special laws;
2. Crime Incident Recording System (CIRS) is an electronic database system that facilitates crime documentation and systematic data storage and retrieval. The system presents a quick, fast and reliable transmission of crime information from lower police units and offices of the PNP to the National Headquarters at Camp Crame, Quezon City;
3. Crime Registrar is the PNP personnel in charge of the recording and submission of crime statistics to higher office, who is preferably a Non-Uniformed Personnel. He shall be responsible in the upkeep and maintenance of all crime data;
4. Database shall include all incidents entered and stored into the CIRS. It is a collection of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data organized by fields, records, and files;
5. Desk Officer is the Duty PNCO in the police station detailed to receive and record complaints and reports of crime incidents and dispatches in the Police Blotter. He is also responsible for initially attending to requests for police assistance;
6. Duty Investigator shall refer to any police officer who is duly designated or assigned to conduct the inquiry of the crime by following a systematic set of procedures and methodologies for the purpose of identifying witnesses, recovering evidence, arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators. He is responsible for the encoding of entries from the IRF to CIRS, to be assisted by the Crime Registrar;
7. Incident Record Form (IRF) is an accountable form to be filled out by a complainant, to be assisted by the QSL Duty Officer, which contains data provided by the former pertaining to the complainant, victim and/or suspect, including the narrative details of the incident. The IRF becomes an official document once it is signed by the investigators and the reporting person in which the information contained shall be recorded in the police blotter, uploaded to the ClRS, and becomes the first document included in the case folder (New IRF attached as Annex ‘B’);
8. Investigator-on-Case (IOC) shall refer to any police officer who is duly designated or assigned to conduct the inquiry of the crime by following a systematic set of procedures and methodologies for the purpose of identifying witnesses, recovering evidence, and arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators;
9. Key Responsible Officers include the Crime Registrars of police stations and investigation units; Chiefs of Investigation of Police Stations, of Police Provincial/City Offices, and Police Regional Offices/NOSUs; Investigators-on-Case; and Chiefs of Police and Station Commanders;
10. Police Blotter is an 18” x 12” blue or pink logbook with hard bound cover that contains the daily register of all crime incident reports, official summary of arrest and other significant events/activities reported in the police station;
11. Quality Service Lane (QSL) is a customer friendly quality service desk manned by a Desk Officer and other designated PNCOs, under the supervision of the Duty Officer of the Police Station, which shall provide the initial point of contact for all concerns or problems of a complainant in the Police Station; and
12. Under-Reporting of Crimes is the deliberate non-submission of crime incidents recorded in the Police Blotters by responsible officers that resulted in the inaccurate and decreased crime statistics in his area of jurisdiction.

5. GUIDELINES:

a. Policies and Principles

The implementation of the CIRS shall be guided by the following principles in gathering and recording crime reports for purposes of obtaining an accurate data for analysis and interpretation that will be used for future planning.

1) The Desk Officer and the Duty Officer of the Quality Service Lane shall at all times accord the client with due respect and courtesy, guide and assist him, and make available the services of the station and ensure that the complainant leaves the office fully satisfied of having availed of such services.

2) Implementation of the CIRS shall ensure the gathering and inclusion of all crime data that are reported in the police station into the System, thereby cutting the discretion of the Desk Officer and the Chief of Police in determining whether or not an incident is supposed to be recorded.

3) The Desk Officer shall initially determine whether the incident shall be considered a crime and endorse the complainant to the Duty Investigator who shall be the Key Responsible Officer in assigning the nature of the crime in accordance with the title as provided in the Revised Penal Code, or Special Laws.

4) All police stations and units with investigative functions shall be equipped with CIRS-installed computers which shall be the source of a nationwide database of crime incidents.

5) A technically trained and qualified Crime Registrar shall be permanently assigned in all police stations and IDM offices who shall be primarily responsible in the preparation, consolidation, and maintenance of crime data files, ensuring the continuity and standard implementation of gathering, identifying and recording of crime incidents.

6) The use of an Incident Record Form (IRF) shall be implemented in all police stations and offices with investigative functions. The IRF shall be filled out with the data and information being supplied by the complainant and immediately encoded into the computer prior to uploading into the CIRS.

7) The adoption of the CIRS and its uniform application in all police stations and other offices with investigative mandate shall require the unconditional commitment of the Chief of Police, Station Commander, and the Provincial, District, City, and Regional Directors. The IDM Officers shall ensure that the CIRS is clearly articulated throughout the organization and that its usage and application are clearly understood.

b. Execution

1) General Rule:

a) All crime incidents whether reported by the victims, witnesses, or reportees must be recorded by the Desk Officer and Duty Investigator, and eventually uploaded into the CIRS, with the assistance of the Crime Registrar.

b) The Crime Volume of a police jurisdiction shall include all cases recorded in the Police Blotter, cases reported to the barangay, and those from other law enforcement agencies. For the purpose of uploading the incident into the CIRS, a checkbox shall be provided to indicate that the incident was gathered from the barangay or by other law enforcement agencies. In the case of crime incidents which was reported to the police but referred back to the barangay, the report must clearly indicate whether the case is amicably settled, under investigation or referred back to the police with a certification to file action.

2) Procedures:

The following procedures shall govern the actions to be undertaken by key responsible personnel in the uploading of the crime incident into the CIRS:

a) The Desk Officer shall entertain and receive the report from the complainant and initially record the complaint into the blotter book indicating the entry number, date, name, place and nature of the incident. Significantly, the Desk Officer must also indicate in the Police Blotter the name of the investigator to whom the incident was referred to, in which his signature (investigator) shall be affixed, acknowledging the receipt of the said incident.

b) The Desk Officer shall initially determine whether the incident is a crime or not. If the incident involves the commission of a crime, the complainant will be endorsed to the Duty Investigator; otherwise he shall be referred to the Duty Officer who shall address his concern.

c) The Crime Registrar, under the mandatory supervision of the Duty Investigator, shall commence the entry of data into the CIRS, supplying all the information obtained from the complainant as to his personal circumstances, the victim, as well as other information on the profile of the suspect as described in the narrative of the incident.

d) The Duty Investigator and the complainant shall review together the information and the summary details of the incident provided by the latter.

e) Upon reviewing, if the complainant has no correction or additional information, the Crime Registrar shall immediately upload the data into the CIRS, assisted by the Duty Investigator; otherwise the same shall go back to the data entry mode and incorporate the corrections made to be reviewed again by the complainant until the final corrections have been made.

f) After storing the final data into the CIRS, the Crime Registrar, with the assistance of the Duty Investigator, shall now print the completed IRF.

g) Three copies of the IRF shall be printed by the Crime Registrar, which shall be signed both by the Duty Investigator and the complainant. The first copy of the signed IRF shall be provided to the complainant. This shall serve as a receipt and a proof that the client has been attended to by the key responsible officers designated in this MC. The second copy shall be kept by the IOC and shall be the first document in the case folder. The third and last copy shall be given to the Desk Officer and same shall be returned to the Crime Registrar after the former has transcribed the details of the IRF in the Police Blotter.

h) The contents of the third copy of the accomplished IRF shall be transcribed and entered into the Police Blotter by the Desk Officer. The same incident being entered in the blotter book for the second time shall indicate the IRF number and the initial (first entry) entry number in the Police Blotter as references. This second entry of the incident into the blotter book shall contain a second entry number, date and time of the reception of the IRF, the details of the IRF, signature of both the Desk Officer and the Crime Registrar, and the disposition of the case.

i) The Desk Officer shall make a daily accounting of all crime incidents reported into the police station and referred to the Duty Investigator during his tour of duty. The list shall be included and contained in the daily journal. The Desk Officer shall likewise follow up and review the status of the incidents referred by him to the Duty Investigator.

j) The Duty Investigator shall ensure that all signed IRF acted upon by him and the Crime Registrar shall be written down and contained in the Police Blotter of the police station detailing the IRF number, narrative of the incident, and the disposition of the case.

k) The Crime Registrar shall ensure that he receives the IRF of all crime incidents from the Desk Officer. Likewise, he must ensure that he affixes his signature in the record entry of the crime incident in the Police Blotter.

l) The non crime-data (i.e. lost wallet, insurance claim, missing persons, conflagration, etc.) entered and stored into the CIRS shall be maintained for future reference. In the event that the incident had been inadvertently entered as non-crime, but was later found to be a crime incident, the information initially uploaded into the CIRS shall be corrected/updated accordingly.

m) The records in the System shall be updated from time to time by the IOC as to the development and the disposition of the case, once a case was filed; when a Warrant of Arrest was issued; a suspect was arrested, or any other pertinent details on the progress of the case like dates of inquest, arraignment, trial, up to the final promulgation.

n) In the event that there is no internet connectivity in the workstation where the crime incident is being encoded to, the preceding procedures still apply. However, immediately thereafter, a soft copy of the same should be brought by the Crime Registrar to the nearest police unit/office with internet connection, for uploading into the CIRS.

c. Responsibilities:

1) Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM)

a) Assume Directorial Staff responsibility for the efficient and effective implementation of this MC;

b) Evaluate the crime reporting performance of all unit commanders and institute appropriate measures to ensure faithful compliance to this MC;

c) Provide training to key PNP personnel involved in the use and operations of the CIRS as well as the conduct of users training at the various Police Regional Offices; and

d) Prepare periodic assessment of crimes for the command and other law enforcement agencies concerned.

2) Directorate for Comptrollership (DC)

a) Provide financial support for the smooth implementation of this MC; and

b) Perform other tasks as may be necessary in order to efficiently and effectively carry out this MC.

3) Directorate for Police Community Relations (DPCR)

a) Disseminate this policy guideline to other stakeholders and agencies with law enforcement functions; and

b) Establish rapport with other stakeholders for their cooperation in the submission of the required crime data.

4) Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management (DICTM)

a) Assist the DIDM in the implementation of this MC;

b) Provide continuous technical support during the implementation, cascading, as well as the conduct of users training at the various Police Regional Offices;

c) Develop a program in the CIRS wherein cases from barangay and other law enforcement agencies can be entered into the system; and d) Include in the system a field for Wanted/Missing Persons.

5) National Operating Support Units (NOSUs)

a) Provide a copy of the accomplished IRF of crime incidents they had taken cognizance of, to the Police Stations where the incident transpired.

b) Closely monitor the progress of the case and regularly submit updates of the same to the Police Station where the case was encoded.

6) Regional Directors

a) Ensure that all police units are equipped with operational CIRS computers;

b) Review crime data of Provincial/District offices and conduct crime trend analysis for use at the Regional Level; Monitor compliance and follow-up lower units;

c) Ensure that the report submitted is reflective of the actual, accurate and true crime situation in his area of responsibility; and

d. Coordinate with the Directors of other law enforcement agencies through the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Commission (RLECC) to obtain cooperation and to secure crime data taken cognizance of by other law enforcement agencies.

7) Provincial/District/City Directors

a) Ensure faithful compliance of lower units in encoding incidents into the system;

b) Conduct crime trend analysis for use at the provincial/district/city level;

c) Ensure that the report submitted is reflective of the actual, accurate and true crime situation in his area of responsibility;

d) Supervise the Crime Registrar who shall be responsible for the maintenance and consolidation of crime data from the lower units and other enforcement agencies operating at the provincial/district level; and

e. Monitor compliance of lower units.

8) Chiefs of Police and Station Commanders

a) Supervise the Chief Investigator, IOC and the Crime Registrar in the uploading of CIRS entries and reporting of crime statistics to higher Offices; and

b) Correct and report erroneous counting of crime incidents.

9) Chiefs, Investigation Sections/Branches/Divisions

a) Ensure the accuracy of data entered into the CIRS in accordance with the flow of the incident recording process certified by the Chief of Investigation before submission to the National Headquarters. The data submitted must indicate whether the incident was recorded in the barangay blotter or other law enforcement agencies; and

b) Gather relevant data from other agencies operating in their respective area of responsibility;

10) Duty Investigators

a) Conduct interview of complainant/reportee to obtain the circumstances surrounding the incident being complained of;

b) Supervise the Crime Registrar to ensure the proper and accurate encoding of crime incidents into the CIRS; and

c) Ensure that all accomplished IRFs are recorded by the Desk Officer into the Police Blotter.

11) Investigators-on-Case (IOC)

Closely monitor the progress of the case, and submit to the Crime Registrar such progress, to update entries in the CIRS, until final promulgation.

12) Crime Registrars

a) Under the supervision of the Duty Investigator, encode entries of the incident, from the IRF into the CIRS, and ensure that all crime incidents encoded in the system are transcribed in the Police Blotter;

b) Print three copies of the accomplished IRF. Provide the first copy to the complainant; the second copy to the Duty Investigator; and the third copy to the Desk Officer. He shall retrieve the third copy, after the Desk Officer has transcribed the contents of the same in the Police Blotter;

c) Consolidate the accomplished IRFs from the Desk Officer on a daily basis;

d) Exercise confidentiality and integrity in the handling and storage of all crime data;

e) Certify the correctness and accuracy of the data contained in the Unit Crime Periodic Report; and

f) Under the supervision of the IOC, regularly update the entries in the CIRS, as to the progress of the case, until final promulgation.

d. ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTION:

The following persons shall be held liable based on the prescribed guidelines of this PNPMC:

1) Key Responsible Officers, as defined in this MC, shall be subjected to administrative relief and Pre-Charge Investigation for failure to report, encode, and update crime incidents into the CIRS;

2) Regional/District/Provincial Chiefs/Officers of NOSUs shall likewise be subjected to administrative relief and Pre-Charge Investigation for failure to submit the accomplished IRFs of crime incidents they had taken cognizance of, and for failure to closely monitor the progress of the case and to submit updates of the same to the Police Stations where the incident transpired; and

3) Directors of CPOs, PPOs, NCRPO Police Districts, and PROs shall be subjected to administrative relief and Pre-Charge Investigation for Command Responsibility, for failure to supervise the encoding and submission of crime data to higher headquarters.

4) Directors of NOSUs shall be subjected to administrative relief and Pre-Charge Investigation for Command Responsibility, for failure to supervise the submission of IRFs and for failure to submit updates of cases to the concerned Police Station.

6. EFFECTIVITY:

This PNP Memorandum Circular shall take effect after 15 days from the filing of a copy hereof at the University of the Philippines Law Center in consonance with Sections 3 and 4 of Chapter 2, Book VII of Executive Order Number 292, otherwise known as The Revised Administrative Code of 1987, as amended.

(SGD) ALAN LA MADRID PURISIMA
Police Director General
Chief, PNP