POLICE OPRATION AND PNP LAW
ENFORCEMENT OPERATION
Chapter 1
LESSON 1
POLICE OPERATION
Police - A body of armed men, which as an
institution, can exercise its duties by armed physical
forces to preserve peace and order, detection of
crime, and the execution of laws.
What is Police Operation? It is defined as the job
duties, responsibilities, and activities that law
enforcement agents complete in the field (Police
Operation: Theory & Practice, 2017)
CATEGORIES OF POLICE OPERATIONS
1. PATROL OPERATIONS
- It is the most basic police function and known as
the backbone of policing
2. LAW ENFORCEMENT SECURITY
OPERATIONS
*Service of warrant of arrest
*Implementation of search warrant
*Enforcement of visitorial powers of the Chief of
Police
*Other anti-criminality operations
3. INTERNAL SECURITY OPERATIONS
- Counterterrorism operations and similar operations
against other threat groups that are conducted to
ensure internal security.
4. PUBLIC SAFETY OPERATIONS
*Critical incident management procedures;
*Search, rescue and retrieval operations;
*Hostage situation;
*Civil disturbance management operation;
*Management of health hazards;
*Other operations that promote public safety.
5. INVESTIGATION OPERATIONS
*Investigation of crime or incident;
* Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO)
*Administrative investigation
*Other investigative work necessary to determine
facts and circumstances for filing cases criminally
or administratively.
6. POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS
This has three (3) interrelated dimensions to
accomplish its mission namely:
1.Community Affairs and development
2. Public Information
3. Information Development Operations
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF PNP
(RA 6975, 1990, Section 24)
1. Enforce all laws and ordinances relative to the
protection of lives and properties;
2. Maintain peace and order and take all necessary
steps to ensure public safety;
3. Investigate and prevent crimes, effect the arrest
of criminal offenders, bring offenders to justice and
assist in their prosecution;
4. Exercise the general powers to make arrest,
search and seizure in accordance with the
Constitution and pertinent laws;
5. Detain an arrested person for a period not beyond
what is prescribed by law, informing the person so
detained of all his rights under the Constitution;
6. Issue license for the possession of firearms and
explosives in accordance with law.
7. Supervise and control the training and operation
of security agencies and issue licenses to operate
security agencies, and to security guards and private
detectives, for the practice of their professions; and
8. Perform such other duties and exercise all other
functions as may be provided by law.
PNP Operational Guidelines
- All PNP Personnel should respect and uphold
human rights and dignity of all person at all times.
Regardless of the type of function to be performed
and/ or police operations to be conducted, all PNP
personnel must know by heart and shall comply
with and apply its principles and procedures.
* TO SERVE AND PROTECT
“The Responsibility of every police officer is to
serve the public and protect life and property.”
*TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS AND
DIGNITY OF PERSON
“All PNP personnel shall respect and uphold the
human rights and dignity of all persons at all times.”
REQUIREMENTS OF POLICE OPERATIONS
In all planned police operations, the team
leader of the operating team/s shall secure a “Pre-
Operation Clearance” prior to the conduct of
operation. This clearance must be approved by their
Chief/ Commander/ Head of office/ Unit and must
be submitted at the Operations Section/ Division of
the concerned operating police units for record
purposes
The basic requirements of police operations
such as but not limited to arrest, search and seizure,
checkpoint, roadblocks, and civil disturbance
management are conducted as follows:
1. With marked police vehicle;
2. Led by Police Commissioned Officer (PCO) or
the most senior Police Non-Commissioned Officer
(PNCO) in the absence or unavailability of a PCO;
3. With personnel in prescribed police uniform
except for covert operatives when serving warrant
of arrest provided personnel in uniform shall be
present during the arrest.
4. With the use of Body Worn Cameras (BWCs)
and/ or Alternative Recording Devices (ARDs)
during the conduct or searches and arrest
Use of force policy
The necessity and reasonableness of the force
employed will depend upon the following:
*The number of aggressors,
*Nature and characteristics of the weapon
used,
*Physical condition,
*Size and other circumstances to include the
place and occasion of the assault
result in severe injury and serious bodily harm and/
or death.
USE OF FIREARM DURING POLICE
OPERATION
WHEN IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO USE
A FIREARM?
*When there is intent of the suspect/s to harm the
police or other persons;
*The suspects/s has capability to harm with
certainty the police officer or other persons;
*Accessibility or the proximity of the suspect/s
from the police officer and other persons.
What to accomplish after using a service
firearm?
“A police officer who fires his/ her service firearm
or weapon during a confrontation with an offender
or offenders must submit an incident report
outlining the circumstances necessitating the use of
his/ her firearm.”

THREE APPROACHES ON THE USE OF

FORCE CONTINUUM
1. Non-Lethal Approach
This involves the police presence in crime-prone
areas and the employment of activities or actions to
persuade and/ or request cooperation of people
particularly suspects and law offenders to police
instruction
2. Less Lethal Approach
This involves the employment of less lethal
equipment that does not cause serious injury and/ or
death and that less physical measures have been
tried and deemed inappropriate purposely to ensure
cooperation, compliance or surrender. The age,
gender and health condition of offenders shall be
considered before the employment of less lethal
equipment
3. Lethal Approach
This involves the employment of lethal equipment
usually as a last resort. Lethal force will only be
employed when all other approaches have been
exhausted and found to be insufficient to thwart the
life-threatening actions or omissions posed by
armed suspect or law offender. This approach
carries with it the greater responsibility as it may

LESSON 2
PATROL
What is Patrol?
“The action of traversing a district or beat or of
going the rounds along a chain of guards for
observation of the maintenance of security.”
Significance of Police Patrol
*Responding to incidents
*Deterring and Preventing crimes
*Can give sense of security to people who need
protection.
*Discourage those who may commit crimes in the
absence of patrol
Goals and Objectives of Police Patrol
*Prevention
*Criminal Apprehension
*Law Enforcement
*Order maintenance
*Public Services
*Traffic Enforcement
PATROL GUIDELINES
1. Conduct briefing before and debriefing after
patrol operations
2. Perform firearm and equipment check to
dispatch.
3. Observe precautionary measures and personal
safety while on patrol;
4. Plan out patrol routes based on prevailing crime
trends and patterns;
5. Observe defensive driving and follow traffic rules
and regulations;
6. Establish good rapport with people on your beat
and be familiar with all the people in the
community;
7. Patrol members must be always on the look-out
for indications of vices and other illegal activities
on their beat;
8. Patrol members must be knowledgeable of all
conditions, events and details of places on their
beat;
9. Be observant of people, places, situations or
conditions and develop an inquisitive attitude
especially if the subject appears to be slightly out of
the ordinary;
10. Keep under close observation actions of
juveniles, troublemakers/ agitators and the mentally
ill/ retarded persons and report information to the
concerned agency for appropriate action;
11. When requiring proof of identification from any
person, let him/her hand it over to you and;
12. Patrol members must inform the tactical
operations center before responding to any incident.
PATROL DUTIES
1. PATROL SUPERVISORS
A. Make a patrol plan with the following details:
*Area Coverage: safe haven, ambush areas and
crime prone areas;
*Organization detail of personnel;
*Duration;
*Stand-by points; and
*Route plan
B. Designate members of the patrol team/s;
C. Conduct personnel and equipment check;
D. Conduct briefing prior to dispatch any orders,
directives or instructions from the Chief of Police
(COP) or higher authorities and new policy or
guidelines being implemented by the PNP
Organizations;
E. Render hourly report of personnel location and
situation through radio/ telephone/ cellphone to
Police Community Precinct (PCP)/ Station
Headquarters Tactical operation Center (TOC);
F. Render after-patrol report duly signed by duly
signed by duty supervisor. PCP Commanders shall
collate and submit significant details to the Station
Patrol Supervisor, who in turn, will submit the same
to the Provincial/ District Patrol Supervisor; and
G. Conduct debriefing immediately after the
completion of patrol duties.
2. PATROL OFFICERS
A. Attend the roll call formation before his/ her
Tour of Duty for briefing and likewise attend the
after Tour of Duty formation for debriefing;
B. Patrol the assigned beats, observe and check
suspicious people, structures/ building, compounds
and vehicles;
C. Observe and monitor public gatherings, prevent
disorders and disperse unlawful assemblies;
D. Inspect and/or conduct surveillance in various
business establishments and other installations and
remove hazards to public safety;
E. Check suspicious vehicles (private, public, or
commercial/ delivery vehicles) in the course of their
patrol;
F. Report occurrences and conditions which relate
to crime, public peace, order and safety;
G. Prevent crimes and arrest criminal offenders;
H. Conduct regular visitations, dialogues/
consultations with the residents and other
stakeholders;
I. Assist personnel of responsible agencies/ unit in
facilitating the flow of traffic at busy intersections/
roads within his/ her Area of Responsibility (AOR).
Assist and provide pedestrian information such as
directions and street locations;
J. Respond to calls, entertain complaints, initiate the
investigation and protection of the crime scene and
minimize the after-effects, fires and other
catastrophes;
K. Wear the prescribed patrol uniform;
L. Have necessary equipment; and
M. Strictly observe the “Buddy System” during the
patrol operations.
LESSON 3
SPOT CHECKS AND PAT DOWN SEARCHES
SPOT CHECKS
Conducted in time of heightened security alerts or
in areas where a crime has been committed and
investigation or surveillance is being conducted and
where the police need to increase their vigilance.
PAT-DOWN SEARCH
When a police pats down the outer surfaces of a
person’s clothing in an attempt to find weapons.
GROUNDS FOR STOPPING AND PAT DOWN
SEARCHES
1. STOPPING
* The person is reported to be allegedly involved in
a criminal activity;
* The actions or demeanor of the person suggest
that he/ she is engaged in a criminal activity;
* The person is carrying something illegal or when
his/ her clothing bulges in a manner that suggests
he/ she is carrying a weapon; and
* The person is seen at the incident and/ or flees at
the sight of a police officer.
2. PAT DOWN SEARCH
* Visual indication suggesting that he the person is
carrying a firearm or other deadly weapon;
* The type of crime believed to have been
committed by the person, particularly crimes of
violence where the threat of us of deadly weapon is
involved; and
* The threatening demeanor of the person.
PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES FOR
STOPPING AND PAT DOWN SEARCH
1. FOR STOPPING
A. When approaching the person, the police officer
shall clearly identify himself/ herself and present
his/ her identification card.
B. Police officers shall be courteous at all times but
remain cautious and vigilant.
C. Before approaching more than one person, police
officers should determine whether the
circumstances warrant a request for back-up or
whether the circumstances warrant a request for
back-up arrives.
D. Police officers shall confine their questions in
relation to the grounds for stopping the person. In
no instance shall a police officer stop a person
longer than the period reasonably necessary.
E. Police officer \s are not required to inform the
person of his/ her rights under the law (i.e. Miranda
Warning, Anti-torture law, etc.) unless the person is
placed under arrest.
2. FOR PAT DOWN SEARCH
A. Whenever possible, body frisking shall be done
by at least two police officers, one to do the search
while the other provides security. It shall be done
with the person in a standing position with hands
raised. The police officers are permitted only to feel
the outer clothing of the person. Police officers shall
not place their hands inside the pockets of the
clothing unless they feel an object that could
probably be a weapon, such as a gun, knife, club, or
the like.
B. If the person is carrying an object such as a
handbag, suitcase, briefcase, sack, or other similar
items that may conceal a weapon, the police officer
shall not open the item but instead put it in place out
of the person’s reach.
C. If the external patting of the person’s clothing
fails to disclose evidence of a weapon, no further
search may be made. If a weapon, no further search
may be made. Id a weapon is found and the
possession of which constitutes a violation of the
law, the police officer shall arrest the person and
conduct a complete search.
LESSON 4
CHECKPOINTS

WHAT IS CHECKPOINT?
An area where vehicles and/ or persons are stopped,
identities are verified, possessions searched, and a
decision is made whether or not to detain the
persons/ vehicles or to allow them to pass.
Checkpoints aim at controlling an are, to allow a
“safe area” to protect from outside influence, to
deny hostile intelligence gathering opportunities and
to be effective they must not be able to be bypassed.

TYPES OF CHECKPOINTS
1. Mobile Checkpoints
- Respond to immediate operational need
- Removed immediately after the execution of
operations
2. Fixed Checkpoints
- Carry out checks on a regular, even daily basis
- Can be permanent of temporary

AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH
CHECKPOINTS
- The establishment of checkpoints shall be
authorized by the Head of Office of the territorial
PNP unit and manned by uniformed PNP personnel.
Other units may establish checkpoints in
coordination with the Head of Offices of Territorial
units are the following (POP Manual, 2021, Rule
2.2.a.):
* Regional Director (RD)
* District Director;
* Provincial Director;
* City Director;
* Chief of City/ Municipal Police Station;
* Station Commander; and
* Police Community Precinct Commander