CLJ1 Week 2
CLJ1 Week 2
CLJ1 Week 2
The Police
The police or law enforcers are the most visible representative of the
government in the society. The first line of defense against crime, for only if
the police arrest suspect will rest of criminal justice system come into play in
prosecuting, trying, convicting and rehabilitating the offenders.
The term "police" derived from the word POLITIA, meaning condition of a
state, government and administration.
Politia originated from the Greek word "Politeia" which means government,
citizenship, or the entire activity of polis in the city.
Functions
Under its enabling law, Republic Act 157, as amended, the NBI is
empowered to:
.Investigate crimes and other offenses against the laws of the Philippines,
both on its own initiative and as public interest may require;
• Assist, when officially requested in the investigation or detection of crimes
and other offenses;
. Act as national clearing house of criminal records and other information for
use of all prosecuting and law enforcement entities in the Philippines, of
identification records of identifying marks, characteristics and ownership or
possession of all firearms and test bullets fired therefrom;
• Give technical help to all prosecuting and law enforcement offices, agencies
of the government, and courts which may ask for its services;
.
Extend its services in the investigation of cases of administrative or civil in
nature in which the government is interested;
• Establish and maintain an up-to-date scientific crime laboratory and conduct
researches in furtherance of scientific knowledge in criminal investigation;
• Coordinate with other national or local agencies in the maintenance of
peace and order;
• Undertake the instruction and training of a representative number of city
and municipal peace officers at the request of their respective superiors along
effective methods of crime investigation and detection in order to insure
greater efficiency in the discharge of their duties. (www.nbi.gov.ph)
Note:
• The NBI is a government entity that is civilian in character, and national in
scope which is under the Department of Justice.
Other Law Enforcement Agencies/Bureaus/Offices/Departments of the
Government
To name few are the following:
1. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)
2. Bureau of Customs (BC)
3. Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)
4. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)
5. Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
6. Commission on Election (COMELEC)
7. Phil. Ports Authority (PPA)
8. Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC)
9. Bureau of Immigration (BI)
10. Optical Media Board (OMB)
11. Intellectual Property Office (IPO)
12. Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC)
13. Phil. Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC)
14. National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA)
15. Office of Transport Security (OTS)
16. Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
17. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
18. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
19. Land Transportation Office (LTO)
20. Manila Int'| Airport Authority (MIAA)
21. Dept. Of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
22. Philippine Ports Authority(PPA)
23. Phil. Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)
24. National Telecommunication Commission (NTC)
25. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)
Police Discretion
One of the most important powers vested by law to the police officers is to
exercise discretion. This is defined as an authority conferred by law to act in
a certain condition or situation in accordance with an official or an official
agency's own considered judgment and conscience.
Other authority defined the same as the wise use of one's judgment, personal
experience to decide a particular situation. It is the freedom to make a choice
among possible course or courses of action or inaction.
One decision that is difficult for a police officer to make is whether to use
force against a civilian, a decision that must be made quickly and often under
stressful and ambiguous circumstances.
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
Criminal Investigation is an art which deals with the identity and location of
the offender and provides evidence of his guilt through criminal proceedings.
This is considered as the most difficult and complicated function of the police
as criminal investigator.
It is likewise defined as the collection and analysis of facts about persons,
things, places, subject of a crime to identify the perpetrator, to locate his
whereabouts and to gather evidence for the establishment of his guilt in a
criminal proceeding.