How effective are the booklets

IN light of the release of the police handbook released by acting Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga yesterday, we print excerpts of two letters we have received recently below.
They highlight the extent of the problem that the police commissioner is trying to address. In doing this, we commend and praise Kulunga for this development. It is way overdue but as they say, better late than never.
A person writing under the pen name, Asa Sumba, penned the following: “I would like to highlight an incident between police and my son on Monday afternoon (Nov 9, 2011) on 9th Street, Top Town, Lae. My son has just completed Grade 12 at Coronation College.
“On Monday afternoon, he had gone to Coronation College to collect a reference letter and was on his way back home to 7th Street when he was called over by a group of policemen on 9th Street. He crossed the road and went to the policemen.
“They asked him in pidgin: ‘Yu blong we?’ He replied: ‘Morobe.’ They asked again: ‘Wanem hap blong Morobe?’ He replied: ‘Wau.’
“They said: ‘Yu Morobe, ah?’ and two policemen who looked liked they were from the highlands threw punches at him.
“They punched him over and over again until he fell down and they kicked him three times on his ribs.
“After they had beaten him up, they searched his clothing and his bag. They asked him what was in his bag, and he replied: ‘Pepa blong skul.’ They got his bag and saw the school’s reference as he had said. They then asked him what was in his trouser pockets.
“He said ‘nothing’ but, yet, they went ahead and searched his pocket only to find nothing. They then told him to take his trouser off in front of many onlookers. He kept standing so they swore at him using the ‘c’ word (female genital) and he took his trouser and shoes off and was left standing in his sportswear. They told him to put his trousers on his head, which he did and carried his shoes in his hand.
“They continued to pester him by asking if he wanted to walk home naked. He replied: ‘Bos nogat.’
“They then told him to say: ‘Tenkyu bos’ (thanking the police for mistreating him) which he did and they let him go home.
“He noted that the policemen were from the highlands and had Port Moresby written on their uniforms.
“He and his father complained to Nema Mondiai of Lae police afterwards on the harassment by the policemen.
“Mondiai, however, told them that there was a “state of emergency” in place and that the youngster was held for disturbing traffic, which was not true at all.”
We are not aware of a ‘state of emergency’ being declared in Lae on Monday, Nov 7, 2011 so Mondiai, why was this young man assaulted by police when he did nothing wrong?
We ask the same question of Mondiai and the police hierarchy: Why was he beaten up and humiliated? Why was he not charged if he had disturbed traffic?
This is just one more classic example of the kind of treatment Papua New Guineans get at the hands of rogue policemen.
They do much to damage the reputation and credibility of the entire police
force.
This matter was further discussed by another letter writer, People’s Voice (anti-gun) from Waigani. He penned the following: “Lae police and those who were flown in from Port Moresby are to be solely blamed for inciting further violence in the city of Lae.
“Why did police open fire directly at the people who were protesting against the criminal activities in Lae?
“Were police supposed to be with all those who oppose criminals?
“It is funny, we have itchy fingers in the police force who feel they are above the law, who can shoot at anyone and anywhere they wished to. 
“They should be investigated and those found to have unnecessarily shot/killed people during the protests should be punished under the criminal laws of this country.
“Where were the police all the time when people were complaining of harassment at the town bus stops and shopping areas?
“Because of their short sightedness and failure to adequately provide security for the city’s residents, people could not watch their city go to the dogs.
“This prolonged ignorance by police and the provincial authorities had forced the people to do what they did.”