Officers to undergo maritime training: Baki

POLICE will provide maritime training to its officers in order to increase water police manpower.
Police Commissioner Gari Baki made the statement in response to The National’s query regarding an increase in sea piracy and what was being done to support water police.
Baki said that with the end of Apec, they were deciding on which boats and dinghies should be assigned to maritime provinces.
“We can give them the boats and dinghies but without proper training, these boats and dinghies would not make a difference,” Baki said.
“So before we assign the dinghies out, we will train our officers so that they can use the dinghies in order to keep law and order out in the seas.
“Currently, most of our water police are non-operational as they had no dinghies but that will soon change.”
Baki said Morobe was the only province that had active water police who were doing a good job and keeping the waters around the area safe. “Thanks to their local MP who is very supportive of the water police,” he said.
Sea piracy has increased in the maritime provinces, with police currently searching for the gang leader of a sea pirate gang from Milne Bay.
Baki called on the public to identify and report the gang leader to police.
“If you know his whereabouts, please call the police so that we can have him arrested again and stop him from causing other damage,” he said.