Official sees need for more detective work

Islands

THE lack of detective training in the past years is a problem the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary has faced, says Supt Brad Morgan, of the PNG-Australia policing partnership.
Morgan was speaking yesterday during the opening of a one-week investigative interviewing course for police officers from New Guinea Islands in Kokopo, East New Britain.
“One of the problems RPNGC has faced through their growth period is that there has been a lack of detective training programmes for a number of years.”
He said police officers have been learning skills as they progressed in their careers and the Australian Federal Police under the policing partnership was providing building blocks of knowledge to build capacity to conduct more robust and thorough interviews.
“I am pleased to say that we have worked closely with Bomana Police Training College to review the detective training programme which is now before the board to be approved and we hope to kick off in November the first five years of detective training in a long time.”
Because of the need for these skills in effective policing, the course will now be integrated into the newly revamped detective training programme for recruits in their initial training at Bomana Police College.
Morgan said the AFP was pleased to conduct the course in Kokopo for police officers in NGI region to better apply their skills and knowledge to interviewing witnesses and suspects and putting together more complete briefs of evidence for courts.
“It is all about how you engage and talk to people and it is very important in how to get the truth of the matter out of them.”