Hela signs agreement to recruit police reservist unit

ABOUT 120 school-leavers in Hela will be recruited for the police reservist unit to address law and order problems in their communities.
It is part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Hela administration and police to take back Hela from warlords and to address lawlessness in the long term.
The MoU came about after Police Minister Bryan Kramer, acting Police Deputy Comm David Manning, acting Special Service Division director Chief Supt Julius Tasion and Hela Governor Philip Undialu visited Hela last month after 18 women and three children were brutally murdered in Karida village.
They were sent by Prime Minister James Marape on a fact-finding trip and reported their findings to the National Executive Council.
The agreement allows 30 school-leavers to be recruited from Komo, Margarima, Koroba, Lake Kopiago, Tari and Pori.
They will be paid about K300 per fortnight for about two years before deciding their future in the regular force, pursue other careers or education opportunities.
The reservists are to undertake matriculation studies to pursue further tertiary education.
Undialu said that this was part of the plan to address chronic law issues such as ongoing tribal fights in Hela.
“This MoU is part of our effort in strengthening the law and justice sector like the courts systems and Correctional Services in the province,” he said yesterday.
“There is a breakdown in the law and justice sector which is resulting in widespread lawlessness.
“At the same time, there are about 20,000 school leavers in the province and we want to engage them to address law and order in their own districts. “They will be intelligence sources to provide information on how guns and ammunitions are coming into the province resulting in ongoing tribal fights.
“Hela is an important province because it hosts the LNG project.”