PNG joins fight against violence
 

By SHEILA LASIBORI
THE PNG Police Force has joined 20 other nations in the Pacific region in agreeing to support any organisation that fight any form of violence committed in the societies.
This comes after Police Commissioner Gari Baki joined 20 other police chiefs in the region and signed a declaration “to support everything to do with the eradication of domestic violence in police and the country”.
Mr Baki said this was in line with the Pacific Prevention of Domestic Violence programme.
“It gives us (police) an avenue to integrate with whatever organisations that support the fight against domestic violence,” Mr Baki told The National.
The declaration was signed during the 36th Pacific Region Police Chiefs conference, which was held in Auckland, New Zealand, last week.
Mr Baki said the conference also made a proposal for police chiefs to support the Pacific Islands Chief of Police Women Adviser Network.
“It is an organisation formed within Pacific police where woman groups deal with issues affecting them ... and for police management to look at issues affecting women officers,” he said, adding that they viewed a report compiled last year on certain issues including employment, education and terms and conditions.
“It highlights the need for police chiefs to understand issues affecting women police in the jurisdiction,” Mr Baki said.
A Memorandum of Co-operative Agreement was also signed between the 21 police chiefs and the Oceania Customs Organisation.
“It is an opportunity for us to open up and talk about issues related to customs,” he said.
But the Police Force are on top of some of the important recommendations made including the availability of a workplace policy on HIV/AIDS, the police review and human rights issues and capacity building.