Commanders to deploy election security forces

Deployment of officers for joint security operations during the elections from June 24 will be done by regional and provincial police commanders, according to the police media unit.
A spokesperson from the unit said while Police Commissioner Gari Baki launched the operations, the task of deployment was delegated to regional and provincial commanders.
Southern Highlands commander Chief Superintendent Sibron Papoto said  provincial commanders were tasked to plan the deployment of officers for the response unit and the joint security operations.
“For the Highlands Western region, which includes Southern Highlands, Hela and Enga, the joint security operations officers comprise the police mobile unit officers, Correctional Service officers and Defence Force officers,” Papoto said.
“They will be placed at strategic locations to support me and the provincial  commanders for Hela and Enga provinces.”
Papoto said  the response unit would be made up of 312 officers from Southern Highlands, 61 from Hela and 361 officers from Enga.
“The response unit, a total of 734 officers, will be stationed in polling stations in the three provinces,” he said.
“When Hela has its polling on June 26, the 734 officers will be stationed in Hela, then move to Southern Highlands for Southern Highlands polling which is on June 30 and then on to Enga which on July 4.”
In National Capital District and Central, Assistant Commissioner Sylvester Kalaut said they were still waiting for their joint security operations to be launched before deployment could begin.