Baki: Stop abuse

The National Main Stories

POLICE Commissioner Gari Baki has told the constabulary’s top brass that the level of abuses by officers is reaching alarming proportions, resulting in reduced efficiency and productivity.
The annual Commissioner’s Conference in Kimbe, West New Britain was also told by the Solicitor-General Faith Barton that more than K131 million had been paid so far by the State as compensation for cases of police abuses since 1992.
Baki said some cases of abuse included:

  • police resources being used to provide security for private firms;
  • police officers getting paid outside the normal public service payroll system;
  • police officers not turning up for work, leaving the stations unmanned; and
  • rogue officers asking for payments before they attend to complaints.

Baki said they would conduct refresher courses for all members of the constabulary to teach them to uphold values, ethics and discipline which were vital in the force.
“We will also look at the type of weapons used by the constabulary, especially in frontline policing and replacing them with less lethal weapons and ammunition,” he said.
Baki said the conference should discuss workable plans and strategies to address problems which affected daily police operations. This is important because of the many police brutality allegations leveled against the police.
Baki said they could reduce the accusations and allegations if officers were well trained on discipline and conduct.
Barton told the conference that apart from the K131m paid out, more than 8600 cases of State litigation had been registered with the Solicitor-General’s office, 19 per cent of which related to police abuse.
She said because of the increase in public complaints against police, her office had formed a team tasked with attending to these cases. Police have also seconded three of its legal officers to the Solicitor-General.
Barton said as a result of this concerted government effort, some positive outcomes had been achieved, but the number of cases was still high.
She said 60 to 70 per cent of these cases were the result of police negligence – officers acting outside their operational requirements.
She said the lack of communication between the police and the Solicitor-General often resulted in default judgments against the State.
Barton urged the police commanders to enforce discipline among officers to reduce the number of police abuses cases reported around the nation.