Police cell block closed

THE Kimbe police cell block has been condemned by the West New Britain Health Authority last Monday and temporally closed until several requirements are met.
Provincial police commander Supt Jim Namora in a report said police in Kimbe were now in a difficult situation.
Namora said the only option left for the police was to relocate detainees and other prisoners from the condemned cell block to cells in other police establishments within the province.
However, he said most cells at existing establishments and rural police stations in and around Kimbe  also lacked proper ablution facilities.
“We are identifying and releasing detainees who are classified as low risks to other smaller police establishments around Kimbe like Kapore and Sarakalok rural police stations. Sending detainees up to Lakemata jail is not viable as they do not have warrants. The district court is yet to have these warrants made available,” said Namora.
He said he had issued instructions for his officers to cut down on arrests relating to summary cases and other minor cases that can be solved by other means.
“We are considering bail to everyone, provided that their individual bail guarantors are people of standing.”
The provincial health authority in a letter to PPC Namora dated July 18 stated the urgency to address “insanity conditions” within the cell block that had resulted in two recent diarrheal cases.
Public health director Joseph Nale stated in the letter that an inspection conducted by environmental health officers on Monday revealed that there had been a continuous back flow of septic waste.
He said the matter was never reported to authorities.
Nale said the back flow of wastes had been causing foul smell within the cell block and the general environment posing risks to inmates and the public.
He added that the cell block walls were “filthy and dirty” and without a proper lighting system.
“The defects are of serious concerns as it poses a great health risk to the inmates and police staff,” he said.