Mamose officers undergo training

 By DOROTHY MARK 
Police officers in the Mamose region had a week’s training on how to deal with crimes involving children in Madang last week.
Community policing director Supt John Kolopen said officers from the community policing and training units from the four provinces attended the workshop to equip themselves with knowledge of correct procedures and approaches in dealing with children caught in criminal activities.
“We conducted the workshop to help police personnel in Mamose recognise and be aware of children’s rights. When children come to the police station we know how to deal with them in respect to their rights,” Kolopen said.
He said the main purpose of hosting the workshop was for police to recognise the rights of children under the Lukautim Pikinini Act.
He said children’s rights from policing to the courts and later to correction institutions was a process many police officers and other agencies involved did not understand, in order to better deal with child criminals.
Kolopen said police, courts and Correctional Services dealt with the Juvenile Justice Act while the  Department of Community Development was custodian of the Lukautim Pikinini Act and Family Protection Act.
He said PNG had adopted the UN convention on the rights of children so all agencies involved in protecting children’s rights must follow it.
Kolopen said police personnel who went through Bomana Police College in the past have been trained to deal with adults and needed additional knowledge to deal with juveniles. The current police recruits would be the first to learn about the rights of children as the course  was introduced last year.