Lone border cop presented with new uniforms

 THE Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary continues to maintain policing services in far-flung Weam station located close to the PNG-Indonesia border.

Sgt Trophy Baworo from Tufi in Northern lives among the people and works alone as the law enforcement officer in Weam.

He wears a variety of caps and acts as immigration officer, wildlife ranger, councillor and magistrate, among others.

Baworo made news headlines recently when a high ranking government delegation went to the border to look at the prospect of building infrastructure and restoring government services there.

Deputy Police Commissioner operations Simon Kauba who went with the delegation on March 2, assured Baworo that new uniforms and equipment would be delivered to him soon after his return to Port Moresby.

The deputy commissioner’s assurance was fulfilled last week when director of supplies Supt Anthony Mota went there in the police helicopter to deliver Baworo’s new uniforms and other ope­rational equipment. 

Clad in his worn-out field uniform with his old shotgun strapped to his shoulder, Bawo­ro posed authoritatively and was working with the people under the scorch-

ing sun when the police he­licopter arrived.

They were cutting the grass around the Weam airstrip in preparation for the government’s intervention and restoration plan when the team from police headquarters arrived.

Men, women and children followed him to the chopper and milled about admiringly when Mota presented the goods to him and said Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga, the police hierarchy, and the rest of the constabulary members have not forgotten him.

Tears welled up in his eyes but Sgt Baworo held them back like a true veteran and said “thank you”.

As it happened, the locals soon realised that Baworo was truly a member of a much bigger network called the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

Police in Daru also received new uniforms and firearms and the police hierarchy is looking at the possibility of deploying a new police boat there for border surveillance and patrols.