Fitness key for officers

 By JAMES APA GUMUNO

POLICE officers with the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) in the Highlands who can not run and are physically unfit will be sent back to general duties, a senior officer 

says.

Acting detective Chief Insp Mazuc Rubiang, who is in-charge of the division in the Highlands region, said that last Friday during a morning 5km road run with his officers from Kuli Gap into Mt Hagen.

He said many of his officers were too fat and unfit to run after criminals for more than 20m.

“I don’t want my officers to stay back and shout, holim em, holim em, when chasing after a criminal,” he said.

Rubian said he wanted his officers to be physically fit and run faster when carrying out their constitutional duties.

He said that late last month, he sent out a memo to all CID offices in six other Highlands provinces that every Friday, it was compulsory that every CID member did a road run in a group.

He said the weekly road run in Western Highlands started two weeks ago and would continue until the end of this year.

“I will not entertain any of my officers who didn’t want to take part in the weekly morning exercise, I will definitely send him or her back to the police uniform ranks for general duty,” Rubian said.

He said because of the lack of exercise, many of his officers had grown fat and could not run.

“I want to help them to cut down on extra weight and keep themselves physically and mentality fit,” he said.

Rubian said they were the only members of the police force whoperformed duties in civilian clothes and never carried firearms.

He added that he wanted his officers to be physically fit to defend themselves when attacked by criminals or suspects when carrying out their duties.