Commission alarmed over poor state of police houses

CHIEF Ombudsman Richard Pagen has raised concerns about the deteriorating state of police houses in Manus.
Pagen led a team from the Ombudsman Commission to assess the state of police facilities at the Wamundu Police Barracks in Manus after a complaint was laid.
During the visit Pagen found that most of the houses had been condemned but because of the shortage of houses police officers continued living in them, some to the extent of families sharing the same house.
The houses had fallen verandas, broken floors, collapsed bathrooms and leaking roofs.
Pagen said the commission was concerned with the lack of maintenance of police housing there.
He said law and order was an important issue and policemen and policewomen deserved to be housed properly for their jobs.
Pagen met with Manus administrator Oka Nungu, Governor Charlie Benjamin and provincial police commander Chief Insp David Yapu to get their commitments to address the housing issue.
Benjamin committed K1.2 million from development grant towards the rehabilitation of the houses.
He said this would start with an inspection and re-scoping to determine the costs.
Another issue was the incomplete male and female single barracks which were brought to the attention of the Ombudsman Commission as well.
Benjamin explained that they had stopped work on the project because they found that the rooms were small and not up to standard.
He said the rooms would be made bigger and they would complete the ablution blocks as well by next month.