The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), with its 23,000-strong personnel keeping the peace in 17 Metro Manila localities, needs at least a 100-percent increase in manpower.

NCRPO chief P/Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. told DAILY TRIBUNE’s digital show Straight Talk on Wednesday that the police-to-population ratio in the capital region is far from ideal.

“With that 23,000, we service 17 citizen localities with a population of about 13.5 million,” he revealed. “We have a police-to-population ratio of one police officer to 500 people.”

Nartatez said the deficiency is exacerbated during the daytime when foreign and local tourists come in, along with people from the provinces going to work or school.

“It increases, almost double, to include our tourists and other personalities, whether from other countries or other provinces,” he said.

“It’s because our tourist hubs are here, the economic hub is here, and including the national and local governments, most activities are concentrated here, so it (population) is increasing,” he added.

He said the ideal policeman-to-population ratio is one to 250, or one cop per 300 persons, explaining that police officers conduct patrols, investigations, intelligence gathering, and community relations.

Nartatez said NCRPO cops are ordered not to spend more than six hours if they are on the beat.

“Here, when we have a deployment, it is my instruction that you do not exceed six hours [especially] when guarding a road. Make sure he rotates immediately, rests about two hours, and then returns,” he said.

Despite the deficiency, he said, the NCRPO makes do with its present number of personnel and manages to reduce crime incidents with a crime solution efficiency of close to a hundred percent.

The NCRPO oversees the Manila Police District, Quezon City Police District, Eastern Police District, Northern Police District and Southern Police District.

Metro Manila consists of the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, Makati, Manila, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa, as well as one municipality — Pateros.