Gulf facing shortage of cops

 By SAMSON JOHN

POLICE in Gulf are down on manpower and this is affecting day to day operations to maintain law and order, provincial police commander Silas Wayagure says.

Wayagure told The National from Kerema yesterday that currently, they have 18 officers in Kerema town, three in Malalaua, one each in Kikori and Baimuru, while Kotidanga and Kaintiba – the remotest and populous areas – have no police presence at all.

“Besides this we have only two CID officers and one traffic officer which brings to a total of 20 police officers in the province,” Wayagure said.

He said there were a lot of police officers who could work and serve the province but the concern was accommodation.

“Many officers who graduated are willing to work in the province but because of accommodation problem they are unable to come.

“The police houses we have were built many years ago and have deteriorating. There have not been maintenance on the buildings.” 

Wayagure said the province needed to increase its police manpower to maintain law and order and curb crime but could work effectively because of shortage of officers.

He said there were big projects such as the much-talked about Papua LNG project with extraction oil and lack of police manpower in the province was a concern.

“I will compile a report and bring it to the provincial administration as well as the police hierarchy (in Port Moresby) to ensure our police manpower is boosted and fully resourced,” Wayagure said. 

“This is so that developments taking place safe and that we maintain law and order.”

He commended the community police officers and village court officials who, on their own initiative, helped police in ensuring that suspects were arrested and brought to justice.

Lack of road infrastructure is one of the factors that hinders police from carrying out their duty well.