Maritime authority, police ink deal to share resources

THE Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) and National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) have agreed to share resources to expand maritime safety and security responses around the country through a memorandum of understanding signed yesterday.
The signing was done between the RPNGC acting police commissioner David Manning and NMSA chief executive officer Paul Unas at police headquarters in Konedobu, Port Moresby.
Manning said forming partnerships with relevant state authorities and agencies in areas of common interest would be mutually beneficial and help meet objectives and priorities as well reducing costs.
He said the MoU documented the operational arrangements and understanding between the NMSA and RPNGC, through its maritime arm, the water police directorate.
He said it aimed to improve maritime safety and enforcement through a cooperative approach to maritime enforcement and safety education.
He added that the first service level agreements (SLA) signed would see trained water police officers and assets assigned to operate from NMSA’s new waterfront facilities in Alotau, Milne Bay.
“Through the SLA, both organisations will now work closely and share resources such as vessels, buildings and boat facilities around the country,” he said.
“NMSA and water police officers will form interoperable teams to assist each agency in their specific duties and provide an enhanced combined search and rescue response as well as enforcing maritime legislation.”
Manning said the water police deployment would also look to provide security for the region in combating maritime crimes, acts of piracy and deliver community policing initiatives to all the island communities in Milne Bay and in time throughout the island communities throughout the country. Unas said Miline Bay was not only the largest maritime province but also the most challenging in terms of both maritime safety and maritime law enforcement.
He congratulated the water police directorate on the expansion of their operational capabilities, particularly in the last two years.
He said NMSA had upgraded and was developing new facilities at their provincial offices, including Madang and Rabaul, East New Britian and he looked forward for joint operations.