Ex-soldiers training police

POLICE in Milne Bay have engaged retired senior PNG Defence Force officers to provide training in land and sea warfare as part of their efforts to combat violent crime and piracy, police commander Chief Supt Peter Barkie says.
He said the retired officers were trained by US and Australian special forces (US rangers and Australian special air services) and were formerly special PNGDF trainers at the Warrior training centre at Goldie River Training depot.
He said the officers had been engaged to train local police in weapons and ammunition handling, jungle tracking, shooting, intelligence gathering, how to behave under fire, rapid deployment and other specialist military training.
Chief Supt Barkie said it was important his men were trained and equipped adequately to respond to crimes such as piracy which were common in the islands throughout the province.
He said Milne Bay police personnel had undergone leadership training facilitated by Australian federal police last week.
He said the training conducted by the retired military officers, all of whom were from Milne Bay, started on Monday and included physical, tactical and weapons training.
He said the aim was for Milne Bay police to be prepared to deploy to remote islands of the province, mainly in Esa’ala and Samarai-Murua, to respond to law and order issues.
Chief Supt Barkie was a former army colonel.
With surging sea piracy and criminal activities experienced in the province, he had sought the skills of his former colleagues to equip his officers with necessary readiness skills in combating rising criminal activities and piracy in the province.