THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF QUEZON CITY POLICE AMIDST COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Public Safety, Criminology, Police Administration

Philippine National Police particularly the Quezon City Police District faces COVID-19 pandemic public health challenges because of its resource and capacity limitations. Police frequently monitor and enforce lockdowns, travel bans, and measures of social distancing. COVID-19 is contagious and spreads through any encounters a police officer may have, exposing them to the disease daily as frontline personnel. This is a qualitative study that makes use of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). IPA is concerned with determining individuals' links to or participation in a certain event or process. The study interviewed 18 informants from seven Quezon City police stations. The researcher examined the QCPD's response to the unique COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting widespread impact on daily life. Police personnel were required in lockdown zones to restrict the movement of ill individuals and to keep strangers away from afflicted areas. A lockdown is a government-led emergency response method that bans individuals from leaving a certain location until the outbreak is contained. QCPD has utilized its campaign to persuade people to follow the COVID-19 pandemic response minimum health safety standard. Police personnel are fighting this pandemic on the front lines. They must receive extensive training in response to public health crises such as this public health emergency before they can begin working. Due to the nature of their profession, police personnel are unavoidably exposed to the risk of contracting infectious diseases. As a result, it is vital to safeguard police officers from disease while yet enabling them to perform their duties of making the community safe effectively. In the event of a large-scale public health emergency, QCPD must have a comprehensive strategy in place. This may entail identifying the most critical functions and the bare minimal number of police officers required. QCPD should make every effort to establish effective and meaningful collaborations with local hospitals, public health departments, and local government entities.

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