EFFECTIVENESS OF POLICE VISIBILITY IN MACABALAN

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY

___________________________________ 

A Research Study
Presented to the 
Faculty of the College of Criminology
Southern Philippines College
Julio Pacana St., Licuan, Cagayan de Oro City

___________________________________

In Partial Fulfillment 
of the Requirements for the Degree 
Bachelor of Science in Criminology
__________________________________

Cagatcagat, Melvin
Dandasan, Lea
Cairel Kier Paul
De Ala, Grace
Dagandan, Jade
Cinco, Reynold
 December 2022

CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Rationale
A sort of duty that emphasizes visibility and is meant to
defend significant public infrastructure including communications
tower, badges, banks and other establishments. It is improper for
police officer to sit down. It is evidence of his ineptitude and
indolence as well as a demonstration that he is not carrying out any
police duties.
Many people still make in-person complaints at the police
station rather than calling them in. In these situations, concerned
citizens can bring evidence with them (a vandalized car, for
example) and talk to an officer immediately rather than waiting for
someone to come to them. Just the presence of a police station can
make a community or neighborhood safer, regardless of what's
inside it. The modern-day cop is equipped with a laptop computer,
cell phone and cameras for collecting evidence--all devices that
allow him to perform most duties from the patrol car. Still, the face-
to-face communication with colleagues, criminals and the public that
can only happen at a police station is a vital part of public safety.
This explains that if the police or other law enforcement officers
are present in a particular place and time, it would be more likely to
eliminate the desire to commit a crime.
Furthermore, due to the rapidly increasing cases of crime in
Barangay Macabalan, We will be proposing to conduct this research
topic with a vision of reducing a fear of crime and to address the
community that imposing police personnel in every corner or outpost
means prioritizing their safety. We will be proposing this title to study
due to adherence of the functional structure the ability of locking an
outpost of station. And to bring back the mission of the city which is
promoting friendship.

Theoretical framework
On the basis of theoretical premises and previous empirical
research, three hypotheses are formulated about the effects of
increased police visibility. In the first place, a decreased fear of crime
among the public is expected. Second, increased police visibility is
hypothesized to result in lower estimates of subjective risks of
victimization. Finally, it is predicted that police visibility will
strengthen police-community relations. (Criminal Justice Policy
Review 1 (4), 381-398, 1986).

(Police Visibility as an Influencing Factor on Citizens’ Perception of

Safety Increased police presence and visibility are keys to the
functioning of the police) They are related to technological
development, which can be considered advancement for every
police organisation. However, during periods of professionalization,
by establishing a range of highly specialised departments, and in
particular through technical equipment and modernisation, the police
have become detached from citizens by closing themselves in
offices and laboratories, communicating through modern
communication channels and means, patrolling mostly in police cars,
even when simply patrolling a certain area (Ent & Hendricks, 1991).
This study aims to identify the effects of police visibility and the problems
encountered on its implementation based on the perspective of the citizens of Lipa.
Descriptive type of research method was utilized in the study with 357 randomly
selected participants from different barangay household in Lipa City, Batangas.
Results showed that crime reduction as one of the major purposes of police visibility
is viewed with higher effect than police public relations. The respondents believed
that there are possible problems encountered on its implementation which include:
having alleged inefficient officers, lack of personnel, not updated equipment,
unhealthy officers, and lack of budget. The groups of respondents from aged
brackets 26-35 and 36-45 have significantly higher problems observed in the
constant police visibility compared to groups with age brackets 18-25 and 56-above.
Meanwhile, sex has nothing to do with their perception on the effects and problems
encountered. Likewise, there are respondents from specific barangays have
significantly higher response on the effects of police visibility where they find it very
essential in their area. Furthermore, those surveyed barangay residents with higher
response regarding the effects of police–public relations are also those respondents
with higher perceived problems. An action plan was proposed to enhance the police
visibility in the densely populated areas and barangays in the City of Lipa as law
enforcement strategy to fight against crime and maintain the peace and order of the
barangays. ( Ray Victor V Valenzuela, Ma Rosario B Tamayo Bild Law Journal 6 (2),
19-26, 2021)
Race and policing in America: Conflict and reform

Ronald Weitzer, Steven A Tuch

Cambridge University Press, 2006

Race and Policing in America is about relations between police and citizens, with a
focus on racial differences. It utilizes both the authors' own research and other
studies to examine Americans' opinions, preferences, and personal experiences
regarding the police. Guided by group-position theory and using both existing studies
and the authors' own quantitative and qualitative data (from a nationally
representative survey of whites, blacks, and Hispanics), this book examines the roles
of personal experience, knowledge of others' experiences (vicarious experience),
mass media reporting on the police, and neighborhood conditions (including crime
and socioeconomic disadvantage) in structuring citizen views in four major areas:
overall satisfaction with police in one's city and neighborhood, perceptions of several
types of police misconduct, perceptions of police racial bias and discrimination, and
evaluations of and support for a large number of reforms in policing. ( Ronald
Weitzer, Steven A Tuch Cambridge University Press, 2006 )

This study aims to identify the effects of police visibility and the problems
encountered on its implementation based on the perspective of the citizens of Lipa.
Descriptive type of research method was utilized in the study with 357 randomly
selected participants from different barangay households in Lipa City, Batangas.
Results showed that crime reduction as one of the major purposes of police visibility
is viewed with higher effect than police public relations. The respondents believed
that there are possible problems encountered on its implementation which include:
having alleged inefficient officers, lack of personnel, not updated equipment,
unhealthy officers, and lack of budget. The groups of respondents from aged
brackets 26-35 and 36-45 have significantly higher problems observed in the
constant police visibility compared to groups with age brackets 18-25 and 56-above.
Meanwhile, sex has nothing to do with their perception on the effects and problems
encountered. Likewise, respondents from specific barangays have significantly
higher responses on the effects of police visibility where they find it very essential in
their area. Furthermore, those surveyed barangay residents with higher response
regarding the effects of police–public relations are also those respondents with
higher perceived problems. An action plan was proposed to enhance the police
visibility in the densely populated areas and barangays in the City of Lipa as a law
enforcement strategy to fight against crime and maintain the peace and order of the
barangays.

Statement of the problem

This study will be conducted to assess the effectivity and
visibility of police officers in implementing to.
Specifically; the study will seek to answer the following:
1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of the following?
1.1 Gender
1.2 Age
1.3 Occupation

What is the level of effectiveness of police officers in implementing duties?

2.1 Crime prevention
2.2 Peace and Order
2.3 Curfew Implementation
What is the level of effectiveness and visibility police officers in promoting
safety and security in terms of:
3.1 Police checkpoints
3.2 Emergencies
3.3 Police patrol
Paradigm of the study

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Profile of the respondents Scoring procedure

Description of the respondent
A. Gender
Interpretation
B. Age
Police
C. Occupation
checkpoints
Emergencies
Police patrol

Figure 1. The paradigm of the study shows that the independent variable is
the profile of the respondents which are the gender, age and occupation.
And on the other hand, the dependent variable is Scoring procedure
Description of the respondent use for their interpretation of the effectiveness
of police visibility in terms of very effective, effective ,less effective and not
effective.

Scope and limitation of the study

 This study will be conducted to determine the perception of the
respondents on the effectiveness of police visibility particularly in its
components if they are not satisfied, satisfied or very satisfied. Done
during the school year 2022-2023, at Macabalan, Cagayan de oro
city, Misamis oriental, Philippines. And the respondents of this study
is 10(ten) Individuals situated in Macabalan, Cagayan de oro city,
which were identified through convenient sampling procedure.
Once again, the main aim of the study is to identify the
effectiveness of police visibility in minimizing crime in Macabalan,
Cagayan de oro city, be it (not satisfied, satisfied, very satisfied).
This study is only delimited on the perception of three hundred
seventy responding individuals participating in the research.

Significance of the study

The researchers believe that this study can provide valuable
insights on the effectiveness of police visibility in minimizing crimes
in Macabalan, Cagayan de oro city, through the analysis of the
perception of the respondents. The result of this study benefits the
following:

Government: The results of this study will give insights to our

government, to create a law containing the mandatory duty of police
officers on providing police visibility in the community and thus the
upgrading of the its concept and its equipment.
Society: The findings of this study will give benefit to our society in
a way that it will provide a useful data in relation to the reflectivity of
police visibility, so that our society can cope and adopt in a better
and safer living.
Philippine National Police: They will be more knowledgeable on
the implementation of such National Projects that will serve as a
guide and basis of implementation of Police Visibility in Cagayan De
Oro City. Thus, it will be a source of strategy and idea to minimize or
prevent crime.
Future researcher: This study provides the future researcher a
valuable and re-searchable information for them to utilize as an aide
in their future study.

VI
CHAPTER 2
Review of Related Literature
This chapter presents related literature and studies to give some
aide and enlightenment on the present study.

The role of police visibility in fear of crime in Finland

This presents a model for police visibility and people's fear of
crime. Survey data were collected from 3,245 adults and 977
teenagers in two typical Finish neighborhoods. A four‐factor model
including two visibility factors (patrol‐car‐related activities and police‐
on‐foot activities) and two fear of crime factors (crimes against
property and crimes against persons) was constructed by structural
equation modeling. Respondents who perceived the police more
often in on‐foot activities were less fearful of crimes against property.
In the teenagers' group, the same effect was found in relation to
crimes against persons. In both groups, seeing the police more in
patrol‐car‐related activities resulted in increased fear of crimes
against persons and property. Our results indicate that a simple act
for the police, such as stepping out of the car every now and then,
i.e. not only in crime‐related situations, has a positive impact on the
fear of crime as expressed by the public. (Salmi, Gronroos, and
Keskenin 2004).

Police visibility as an influencing factor on citizen’s perception

of safety.
The research results point to a statistically significant, yet
relatively weak connection between the components of police
visibility and the sense of safety. On the other hand, police foot
patrols and dealings towards persons disrupting public order in the
neighborhood have a positive effect on citizens’ feeling of safety;
whilst, police car patrols have an opposite effect. This research is
important not only due to providing scientific evidence for the
connection between police visibility and citizens’ sense of safety, but
VII
also due to significant practical implications on police dealings.
When planning police fieldwork, negative aspects of car patrols on
the perception of safety have to be taken into account. What should
be considered are new, alternative forms of fieldwork, which enable
the intervention ability of police, as well as which allow for foot
patrols and contacts between citizens and the police in non-incident
situations. (journal of criminal justice and security,2019). The data for
this research were collected on a sample containing 1,096
respondents, which can be considered representative of the
Republic of Croatia based on socio-demographic characteristics.
Beside seven socio-demographic variables, the questionnaire used
in the research contained 34 variables found in following sub-scales
for: perception of crime victimization risk and frequency; perception
of feeling of safety and assessment of self-protection ability;
perception of incivilities that disrupt the public order; perception of
the presence of problematic categories of persons; perception of
police visibility. The data were processed by using multivariate
regression and multivariate quasi-canonical analyses.
The impact of crime in community
This wisdom suggests that high or increasing crime levels
make communities decline. Researchers usually translate decline to
mean an increasing desire to move or higher actual mobility of
residents; weaker attachments of residents to, and satisfaction with,
their neighborhood; less local involvement; and lower house values.
Empirical research confirms only some of this wisdom. Crime relates
as expected to house prices, neighborhood satisfaction, and the
desire to move. But research simultaneously suggests that crime
neither spurs mobility nor necessarily decreases local involvement.
Past research fails to differentiate the impacts of specific crime rates
and does not examine impacts of static versus changing crime rates.
This article examines impacts of past and changing crime levels on
VIII
changes in relative house values and vacancy rates in Baltimore,
Maryland, neighborhoods in the 1970s. The results reveal that
different crimes influence different aspects of the housing market.
Past and changing crime rates play roles in ecological transitions of
neighbor-hoods. In keeping with the current findings of contingent
impacts of racial change on mobility, I suggest that impacts of crime
and related problems on neighborhood viability may be contingent
on personal, historical, and locale-specific factors. (Ralph, 1995).

Socioeconomic correlates in increasing crime rates in smaller

community.
This research analyzes changes in crime rates by city size and
determines the extent to which these changes can be explained by
socioeconomic variables. More particularly it addresses rates of
change in mean crime rates for violent and property crime between
1976–1984 and 1985–1994 for all U. S. cities, then compares results
to Ohio cities. It provides a detailed analysis of changing crime rates
in 111 Ohio cities with populations between 10,000 and 99,999
inhabitants and attempts to account for crime differentials between
these cities employing linear regression and factor analysis. Results
indicate that crime is significantly related to poverty and its
associated conditions and processes. (William, 1998).

IX

CHAPTER 3
Research methodology:
This chapter presents the research design, research locale, research
respondents, research instruments, and the data gathering
procedures.
Research design:
This study uses the descriptive type of research method. It is
designed to describe systematically a situation or area of interest
factually and accurately.
Descriptive research aims to accurately and systematically describe
a population, situation or phenomenon. It can answer what, where,
when and how questions, but not why questions. A descriptive
research design can use a wide variety of research methods to
investigate one or more variables.
Research locale:
This study is intended to be conducted in Macabalan, Cagayan
de oro City in the near future. Macabalan is a barangay in the city of
Cagayan de oro, Macabalan is situated at approximately
8.5028,124.6613, in the
Island of Mindanao. Elevated at these coordinates in estimated at
3.2 meters or 10.5 feet above mean sea level.
Map of Macabalan of Cagayan De Oro City
We choose Macabalan as our research locale, because as per the
result of our survey, most of the residence of Macabalan states that
there are still lots of index crimes existing in their society compared
to other barangay in CDOC.
Research respondent:
Respondents of this study were Three Hundred Seventy
individuals situated in Macabalan, Cagayan de oro City, and they
were identified through convenient sampling procedures.

Research instrument:
In gathering of data or information, there are two phase of
questionnaires for them to answer, the first phase is about their
background in terms of 1. Gender, 2. Age and 3. Occupation. The
second phase of questionnaires is about their perception and
thoughts on the level of effectivity during police visibility, in times of
1. Checkpoints, 2. Emergencies, and 3. Police Patrol, if it is very
effective, effective, less effective, not effective.
Data gathering procedures:
The following procedures are taken into consideration in order to
acquire data, that this researcher seek.

Seeking Approval
The researcher seeks an approval to the Honourable Brgy.
Captain Norbel Saa in behalf on her Barangay officials, in pursuant
to our research study.

Selection of respondents
The researcher select Three Hundred Seventy respondents for
this study, selected through Raosoft calculator, in total population of
Macabalan 9,562 as of the latest estimation of 2020,so our sample
populations are 370. The names and identity of the respondents
were given an utmost confidentiality.

Development of research instrument

The researchers provide 2(two) phase of research instrument, in
which it aims to identify the profile of the respondents and them
perceptions on the effectiveness of police visibility in minimizing
crimes in the area.

Interview of the respondents

After developing a research instrument, the researcher will conduct
interview in order to acquire and gather data.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researchers would like to express its sincerest gratitude to the

following
individuals who have contributed to the success of this study:
Girlie N, Cañete PhD the Dean of the College of Criminology, for her
support of the implementation of this study;
To our Panelist, for guiding us throughout our journey on making this
research successful.
To the Barangay Council of Brgy. Macabalan especially to the Brgy.
Captain Norbel Saa for their cooperation and untiring assistance
towards the conduct of the study;
Above all, the Lord Almighty, for giving us strength and blessings to
finish this
study.

DEDICATION

We wholeheartedly dedicate and offer this research to all the people

behind the success of this research.
First and foremost, we dedicated this research to our God Almighty,
we thank God for the guidance, strength, peace of mind, protection,
and skill and for giving us a healthy life. All of these we offer to you.
We dedicate and offer this research also to our loving parents, who
serve as our inspiration and give us strength when we thought of
giving up, who continually provide their moral, emotional and
financial support.
 SOUTHERN DE ORO PHILIPPINES COLLEGE
Julio Pacana St. Licuan, Cagayan de Oro City
COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY

February 08, 2023

Norbel Saa
Brgy. Captain
Macalan, Cagayan de Oro City

Dear Norbel Saa,

Good Day!

The undersigned are currently taking research study as part of the

curriculum of our course Bachelor of Science in Criminology at
Southern Philippines College, Cagayan de Oro City. The title of our
research is “EFFECTIVENESS OF POLICE VISIBILITY IN
MACABALAN CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY”.

In line with this, we are asking permission from your good and
honorable office to allow us to conduct a interview.

Rest assured, that all information obtained from you community will
be used exclusively for academic purposes.

Your approval for this request is greatly preferred and appreciated.

God Bless and Thank You!

Sincerely,

The Researchers,
Cagatcagat, Melvin
Dandasan, Lea
Cairel Kier Paul
De Ala, Grace
Dagandan, Jade
Cinco, Reynold

Noted:
Girlie N. Canete PhD-CST
Research Instructor