04/08/2026
WHEN PEOPLE FINALLY START CALLING
THE POLICE
A police emergency hotline is only as effective as the public's willingness to use it.
For years, many hotlines existed, but too often they remained underutilized because people doubted whether help would arrive.
That appears to be changing in the Negros Island Region.
Under the leadership of PBGen. Romano Cardiño, the intensified implementation of SAFE NIR Dial 911 has produced results that go beyond impressive statistics.
Before its launch, PRO NIR received only 21 emergency calls from January to May 2026, resulting in just two arrests.
After the campaign began in June, emergency calls surged to 214, followed by 261 in July. More importantly, arrests increased to 13 in June and 28 in July.
Some may interpret the increase in calls as a sign that more incidents are occurring. The numbers tell a different story.
They show that more people now know where to seek help and, more importantly, believe the police will respond.
That growing confidence is one of the clearest indicators of effective policing.
The public's trust is further reflected in the customer satisfaction survey.
Since July 1, a total of 215 callers expressed satisfaction with the service, with no dissatisfied responses and only five neutral ratings.
Even more encouraging, only two prank calls were recorded, suggesting that citizens are using the hotline responsibly.
These achievements are the result of sustained public information campaigns, stronger coordination with partner agencies, better-trained personnel and a leadership that understands that accessibility is just as important as enforcement.
PBGen. Cardiño recognized that an emergency hotline cannot protect the public if people are unaware of it or lack confidence in it.
SAFE NIR Dial 911 is proving that effective policing begins with communication.
When people trust the police enough to make that emergency call, officers receive timely information, respond faster, arrest offenders and make communities safer.
The true success of SAFE NIR Dial 911 is not quantified by the number of calls received, but by the confidence it has restored between the police and the people they serve.
