Call for top cops to stay in office longer

THE Southern Highlands Police Association says the constant change of provincial police commanders (PPC) is hindering plans and objectives to maintain law and order.
“The constant change of top officers is burdening the efficiency of the police here and is of serious concern to us,” association spokesman Sgt Morgan Opi said.
He said the PPCs were changing annually and “enforcement will retard if this continues”.
Sgt Opi said the constant changes were burdening the more than 200 police officers in the province as the PPCs were not being given ample time to exercise their operational plans.
“The top provincial cops have been taking office briefly and then transferred to other provinces after serving between six months and a year without completing their plans.
“There has been an ongoing change of PPCs and they are not given enough opportunity to complete their policing plans,” he said.
Sgt Opi said PPCs need at least three years to fully implement their plans.
“With major developments taking place in the province, the police had a vital role to play, but the ongoing changes are an impediment.
“The association is not arguing against the police commissioner’s decision to change the top cops, but the period given to them to serve is just too short,” he said.
SHP PPC Supt Jimmy Onopia has been replaced by Supt Teddy Tei, who has been transferred from Goroka in the Eastern Highlands province.
Attempts to get comments from ACP Simon Kauba were unsuccessful.