PROMISING to deliver only the best for the Philippine National Police and the people they serve, the Police Regional Office 4-A headed by Brigadier General Eliseo DC Cruz now boast of a world-class Command Center which take full advantage of modern technology to arrest and solve all forms of criminality while having a ‘real-time’ monitoring of the situation on the ground, the Journal Group learned yesterday.

Described as the first-ever unique and state-of-the art Command Center in the PNP, the Calabarzon PNP Command Center features a video wall where ‘real-time’ situation on the ground can be viewed and monitored thru the help of the PNP Body-Worn Camera System, Global Positioning Satellite or GPS technology, Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system of local government units and Calabarzon expressways and last but not the least, modern drones at the same time.

“We can monitor the situation on the ground by simultaneously using the four modern technology and view them at the same time in a big screen. Thru this, we already know the situation based on the CCTV, the aerial view and the view of the operative equipped with the body cams,” Brig. Gen. Cruz, a member of Philippine Military Academy ‘Bigkis Lahi’ Class of 1990 said.

Strategically located at the 2nd floor of the PRO4-A regional headquarters in Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba City in Laguna, the site with its Central Command Table or C-Table serves as a ‘central hub’ for decision-making of the Calabarzon police leadership and enables the Regional Director and his staff to easily convene, monitor, and give orders and guidance to the police officers on the ground when necessary.

Its monitoring system is made up of nine 55-inch HD panels which were all linked into a single large monitor that can also be individually used to project separate images and videos in high resolution format.

Thru the use of modern technology, the PRO4-A decision makers can conveniently view even the minute details and smallest evidence captured by the cameras.

Cruz said he came up with the idea to have a Calabarzon PNP Command Center after being inspired by Philippine National Police chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar’s aspiration to give nothing but the best for the police force and the general public.

Designated by Gen. Eleazar as Calabarzon police director last May 9, Cruz committed to put up their own modern Command Center, using cutting edge technology and design to turn it into a fully functioning Command Center that the PNP can really be proud of, one which is worthy of emulation by other police units across the country.

The Calabarzon Police Command Center’s first and primary function is to monitor the BWCs issued to its men in the field. Brig. Gen. Cruz said that thru this, they can observe and guide and direct real-time actual police operations including the service of search warrants and warrants of arrest specifically those pertaining to anti-illegal drug operations.

He said that thru the system, they can review recorded actual police operations in order to investigate complaints regarding violations of Police Operational Procedures, giving both the accusers and the accused all the chance to prove their claims.

At the same time, Simulation Exercises being done by the local police can also be viewed right inside the Command Center for future critiquing.

Second, the Center utilizes the PNP Global Positioning system or GPS-enabled devices. Brig. Gen. Cruz said that the PP-issued Hytera Radios are equipped with GPS which make it easy to track in real-time the location of the radios as well as the location route with street names on the map.

The PRO4-A also procured GPS tracking devices which are now installed on all PNP-issued patrol vehicles in the region. Like the Hytera Radios, the GPS tracking devices can easily track the patrol vehicles.

By just looking at the designated icons on the screen, officers looking at the video walls can determine if a patrol vehicle is moving or not and can easily give commands including the deployment of personnel and patrol vehicles in case of dragnet operations against fleeing criminals.

Third, the Command Center is utilizing the CCTV Mirror Viewing of the situation being captured by CCTV cameras installed by local government units and the management of expressways in the region.

Brig. Gen. Cruz said they were fortunate that many LGUs and expressway management have responded positively to their request for a ‘mirror viewing’ of their CCTVs as these unlimited access can be used in crime prevention and crime solution efforts of the PRO4-A particularly during pursuit operations.

Last but necessarily not the least feature of the Command Center is the Drone System in which the aerial view of PRO4-A operations and crime-scene investigation gives the PRO4-A leadership a much broader perspective specifically when it comes to the conduct of search-and-rescue operations, surveillance missions, traffic monitoring, firefighting and actual police operations.

Fifth, the Command Center gives PRO4-A Inspection and Red Teaming Operations the much needed boost amid the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Since movement of people have been restricted under the new normal, the PRO4-A director said that officers in-charge of inspecting police stations and accounting for their personnel can now make it ‘virtually’ thru the use of BWCs issued to their subordinates.

Last but necessarily not the least is the Center has ‘integrated’ all the PNP Database System in which the authorized officer can access data such as the PAIS or the personnel information system, CIRAS, E-Warrant, E-Subpoena, E-Rogue, CIDMS and others.

To illustrate his point, Brig. Gen. Cruz said that officials viewing the videowall can easily check on the identity of a person claiming to be a member of the PNP by simply accessing the PAIS system or see if a person being questioned in an anti-criminality operation or a checkpoint is included in the list of wanted persons in the country.

Cruz said that they will also recommend to Gen. Eleazar the inclusion into the system of the list of wanted motor vehicles or the Motor Vehicle Information System of the PNP Highway Patrol Group for easy checking of the records of motor vehicles or motorcycles being apprehended in the region. Cruz is a two-time PNP-HPG director.

The official added that they are also developing a system which will allow the inclusion of Artificial Intelligence or AI to analyze the weekly data of their Enhanced Managing Police Operations or simultaneous anti-criminality operations.

By doing this, an algorithmic calculation will automatically plot the crime clock and crime map based on the Eight Focus Crimes recorded for the week or month by the different Police Provincial Offices and City and Municipal Police Stations in the region.

The system will then send to concerned police stations data on routes of police visibility, location of checkpoints, foot patrol and other anti-criminality measures for synching with their GPS-equipped radios.

By giving the exact time and location of specified crime prevention activities, the system will be able to notify or alert the operations section including the patrol officers or chiefs of police in case of a failure to conduct the required duration and location of patrols or checkpoint as per the algorithmic calculation of the database.

The PRO4-A headquarters also underwent a massive renovation and landscaping under Cruz.

Brig. Gen. Cruz said their Command Center now ensures transparency and legitimacy of law enforcement operations in the region while doing its part to help the PNP become at part with other top law enforcement agencies across the globe.