Call to instil discipline

THE conduct of ill-disciplined Correctional Services officers almost brought anarchy to the department at the height of detainment of notorious bank robber, the late William Kapris, Commissioner, Martin Balthasar said.
Kapris was at the Bomana jail, outside Port Moresby.
Balthasar revealed that at the 2014 annual CS Commanders conference in Goroka following a lengthy discussion on discipline issues.
He said dishonest and indisciplined officers lured by stolen loot almost brought the department into disrepute and anarchy.
“The norms of regulations were busted,” he said. “These handful of corrupt officers in Bomana brought in their own rules … Kapris had a gang or two still there but are now silenced. When our frontline officers commit discipline offences, we cannot allow this to go on, we acted swiftly to restore order and control.”
Balthasar told jail commanders and senior officers they should instil strict disciplinary measures and control and if they did not they would defeat themselves.
He called on them to do every little things right and not go out of bounds.
The annual conference is to discuss and analyse performance and progress on developments and problems facing operations at the regional level and  as a State institution.
Prison industries, infrastructure upgrades of detainee facilities and staff housing are priorities. He said they had a comprehensive National Executive Council submission with the ministerial economic committee, which was about a policy to develop CS into a prison industry for rehabilitation and reformation.
“I commend past regimes for taking the department this far, after 40 years there must be a change in the direction,” he said.
 “A crop of young officers will come through the rank and file to take the department forward from 2017 and 2020.”