The Philippine National Police (PNP) has launched its automated blotter system to solve the organisations’ crime data backlog problems and make transmission of police records easier and faster. 

The e-Blotter system, which is designed to make recording of citizens’ complaints faster and prevent police officers from tampering with records, is tested first in Metro Manila precincts.

Traditionally, police officers manually logs crime and complaint reports in a huge logbook called the police blotter.

With the new system, however, the reports would still be logged manually but at the same time, they will be encoded in a computer linked to the central server, which is accessible by all police stations nationwide.

PNP - Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) IT officer Inspector Bryan Borja said once an entry is encoded in the system, it cannot be modified or deleted anymore.

The software was developed by the PNP’s DIDM, IT Management System and the Directorate for Information Computer Technology Management.

Borja, however, said that due to the lack of internet connection in most precincts, police will have to transmit data in computers with internet connection outside police stations.

DIDM Director Arturo Cacdac Jr. (pictured) said the e-blotter system will provide real-time crime data to field commanders to guide them in their crime prevention effort.

“It will help ensure integrity of crime data, as it will be transmitted directly by the frontline units of the PNP,” he added.

Cacdac Jr said the e-blotter system will also be the source of data for the police clearance system that will be implemented by the PNP in the future.