Compensation undermines police efforts to fight crime in Tari

The National National

By SYLVESTER WEMURU
TARI Police Station commander Snr Insp John Iara says the compensation method of solving problems in Tari is undermining police efforts to get criminals to court.
Insp Iara said most cases brought to the attention of police ended up back in the community because they wanted compensation.
“The fear of retaliation is one main thing complainants have and choose not to take matters to the courts,” Insp Iara said.
“A classic example was a recent National Court decision that released a remandee charged with murder because witnesses failed to turn up to give evidence.
“I challenge people of Hela to do away with compensation and allow justice to take its cause.”
He said since taking over as commander 10 months ago, he had put a lot of effort into getting the public safety division up and running with little or no logistics at all.
He said the police station was known for continuous changes in the position of police station commanders and it was “very hard to pick up from” the predecessor without a proper handover.
Insp Iara said there was little improvement in performance of the police and the community, and a lot more needed to be done.
“We are operating without a Hela police structure and it is difficult to properly allocate reliable non-commissioned officers (NCOs) to sections within the station,” he said.
“But I must thank all the hardworking police officers attached to Tari Police Station for their tireless efforts in maintaining law and order, especially in Tari town and the surrounding community.”

7 comments

  • John Iara

    You are behaving like you dont know the law…thats because you do not know the law. The law of your own tribe…the law of PNG.

    PNG law has only one objective…and that is finding justice for the victims…and that justice is decided by the victims. There are 3 options.
    1. Payback
    2. Compensation
    3. Nothing/Forgiveness : normallly a brother killing a brother – there is no avenue for payback or compensation because you will be doing it to yourself. You and your brother are one and the same.

    We do not have prisons. That is because the cost of keeping the criminal like food, accomodation, security, etc are paid by the victim in form of tax. This idea is foreign and wrong because basically you are asking the victim to pay their compensation to themselves after you have killed them. You are “adding salt to the wound”. This in PNG view is criminal – its like you are killing them again…..this ideas belongs to England and must stay in England.

    You are paid by the Tari/PNG. When the people need you they will call. You are there for assistant when needed.

    Once compensation/payback is done the problem will end. If the criminal goes to jail – the matter is not solved. When he comes out he will get killed.

    This matter is not a government/police matter. You are there to be called upon when needed. The mechanisms of justice is in the community….its part of their structure. They have lived like this for over 50,000 years.

    Maybe you should take a break and go and live in the village with your people and ask them for advice and how they resolved conflict.

    When you are in Tari – you need to adjust to the Tari way of solving conflict. Otherwise life will be hard for you there. This people have a clear view of justice. There is a saying that goes like this”WHEN IN ROME – DO AS THE ROMANS DO”

    • kipiplan, Well said here, but my question, are you going to compensate Police officers killed in line of duty by your war lords in Tari?
      It is educated elites like you who encourage lawlessness in your province by way of your expression here?
      It is because of countries like England that you can write and speak english, otherwise you would be in your stone age cave.

    • kipiplan. Really, How many problems has compensation solved. Compensation is paid but It seems to be getting worse and worse everyday. Compensation is like a virus or a parasite, it never goes away it keeps coming back. It needs to be eradicated.

  • Compensation is fast Law is slow
    Compensation = Short term Solution
    Courts = Long term solution

  • Nowadays,many Tari peolple still can not speak good pidgin language properly so how can they interpret and understand the law,whenever they go or leave in their own province they always carry a gun or bush knifes with them around.Any little issue arise they usually fight for death so the only rule of law that they think right and understand most is pay back in a form of fight.They don’t used to care about law and order or police and soldiers presents in the province and even compensation payment is not accepted in their traditions.They only think pay back in the form fight is always right and even today and onwards Tari people will still fight no matter what as its being practiced and passed on from generation to generation.

  • kipiplan, maski supportim compensation, your statements whole idea is on supporting tribal fights and compensation.
    Just stop and change and get educated. Whiteman kam long time na upla stap yet lo cave.

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