District gets additional police recruits

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
THE trouble-torn Laiagam-Porgera district, Enga, has received additional police manpower.
Of the 20 new recruits who passed out recently from Bomana and sent to Enga, 11 have been given permanent postings in Laiagam, while seven have been sent to the Paiam police station in Porgera.
The police manpower in Kandep, Wabag, Wa­penamanda and Kompiam-Ambum districts remain the same.
Provincial police commander Martin Lakari thanked police commissioner Tom Kulunga and Highlands divisional commander Teddy Tei for giving the province 20 new police officers.
He said the new policemen sent to
the province boosted manpower to 320.
Lakari said the young policemen would boost the morale and strength of ageing officers.
He said Laiagam and Porgera were known for their lawlessness recently and the deployment of extra policemen would greatly help those already there to maintain order.
He said seven new policemen took up their postings in Paiam, taking the number of regular policemen there to 13, while 13 others sent to Laiagam had increased manpower there to 20 officers.
He appealed to the people of Laiagam-Por­gera to respect policemen sent to their area.
Lakari said without the presence of the policemen, there would not be any peace  in the district and the people would continue to live in fear.
He urged the people to cooperate with the police to maintain peace and to arrest law breakers.
“To maintain order in the community is the
responsibility of everyone, not just the police,” he said.
Lakari said the police would need the cooperation of the community to carry out their work effectively.