Police kick out reservists

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Police Commissioner David Manning (left) inspecting a parade of police officers. Manning has disbanded the police reservist programme which started in 1992 and directed them to return all their police-issue gear and leave.

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
POLICE have kicked out their reservists after the Government had to pay out K158 million to victims of their misconduct, with another 2,300 cases pending in court, an official says.
Solicitor-General Tauvasa Tanuvasa told The National that most of the cases involved members of the police reserve unit which has been disbanded from this week.
“In 2020 alone we have 425 litigated active files in court. There are various types of claims and all involve police reservists from constables to chief sergeants,” he said.
Those in the reservist programme, which began in 1992 to assist the work of regular police officers, have been told by Police Commissioner David Manning to return all their police-issue gear and leave.
Only those attached with certain organisations will remain.
The total number of police reservists could not be confirmed yesterday.
Tanuvasa said they had to deal with 9,800 litigation matters from 1992 to 2020.
“It’s a very serious and considerable amount paid out which needs to be looked at by the Government,” Tanuvasa said.
He urged the Government to support the constabulary in terms of discipline.
“This is one of the reasons there is a team dedicated to all police matters,” he said.
Tanuvasa supported Manning’s decision to review the police reservist programme.
“It is necessary and has to be done so that we can have a more disciplined police force,” Tanuvasa said.
“Most claims against the state are police claim made against reservists from constable to chief sergeants.” Police Minister Bryan Kramer said the actions of some reservists had tarnished the good work of regular police officers.
It is likely that some will be rehired through a “filtering system”.
Manning last week ordered the standing down of police reservists because of “widespread abuse”, except for those engaged with certain organisations.
“Anyone caught with these (police-issue) items after Sept 14 will be charged with impersonation or for being in possession of police issue items,” Manning said.
“While the reservists are being stood down, the various commands will take stock of their manpower needs.
“Any gaps will be identified and the former reservists as well as interested citizens can apply,” he said.

19 comments

  • I am ex PPC and happy about this decision to disbanding the reservists from active service.

    They are ill trained and undisciplined and are direct liability to the public and the police force.

    Police Command is lacking control and supervision of the regular police and this is evident from the public view.

  • Waste of tax payers hard earned money. Tax should he well spent on deteriorating health and education services, infrastructure including roads, bridges, airstrips and social programs. People in rural areas and smaller towns have been suffering for too long.

  • “The Government had to pay out K158 million to victims of their misconduct, with another 2,300 cases pending in court, an official says.”, If this is so my question would be, How Many of these Reservists who have obviously committed Criminal Acts, have been arrested and Charged.

  • Full support for getting rid of Reserve policemen and women. Smart Police station commanders sometime use rhem for robberies and ccommitting hilf gups and robbing business people for money. when in fact they’re crimnals themselves. Welcome to the land of unexpected. Come home and work the on the land for survivor. Your rasy wsy ofmakng money to survive is over. Thank you Police commissioner. sana namugin

  • Please remove all the reservist policemen and women attached with Lae main markets police post.
    They are worse in collaborating with all criminals and allowing criminals to steal from people and when caught, reservist police pretends arresting and beating them and let them escape after the complainant left. They don’t lock them up for further charges and court proceedings to go.

  • is there any height requirement in the Police recruitment process? The Officers are uniform in uniforms but the heights of the Officers are not uniform and does not make the parade look smart and professional

    And by the way, good move Commissioner, the Reservists have become liabilities over the years and must go.

  • Ol K5.00 Police man na meri tasol. Ino save no wok blo ol, read na write tu. Save bagarapim ol PNG man/meri nating tupas olgeta taim. Ol save wearim dispela uniform ol save stap antap lo CLOUD 9 na tu uniform from the head to toe ino save clean tuya. Always bending the Rules of the LAWS of this country to their advantages. Rusim olgeta, Auxiliary or Reservist. Nogen ronim KANGAROO COURT TU Outside of the Police Station Too and paying and settling cases and paying compensations and going away free all the time. Lock those culprits who break the laws of this country in the Police Station Cells and feel what the freedom is like and pay up hefty bails. Let the law breakers be dealt with the POLICE & COURTS SYSTEMS of this country along and no others.

  • I strongly want to recommend, comment as a witness, increase law and order issues in the country is due to unqualified and undisciplined reservist police force. Brutality are the main practices, disorder violence cause of increase community law and order is provoked by reservist police. One of the classic example is reservist police employing around Morobe Patrol Post. These reservist police harbor and provoked criminals who do Sea Pirates around the coast of Morobe. Nothing has been brought before court or full force of law, citizens and innocent people are continues becoming victims. Where are rural law and order enforcement agencies, I have seen this with my own eye. Therefore we want government, law enforcement agencies, policing department, and importantly major initiative taken must be implemented as soon as possible before we have something more than what we have seen and heard.

  • I am so proud that these liabilities are no more in existence. They are no match for the Police personnel and need retirement urgently. Thanks, ex PPC.

    Some of them act as Action P0LICEMEN.! Whew! Carry pump-action or M16 with shoulders up and think they crushed six months in training at Bomana.

    How come less than two weeks training then become Policemen!

  • The reservists actions only reflected the type of regular police personnel we have in the country. Poor reservists were on the loss and did what they could that amounted to liability for the State. The trained policemen and women who came out from Bomana knew what was happening all along and did nothing. May be, it is high time the Commissioner must draw the same line and revisit the performance of the regular policemen and women. Reservists were only conduits, negotiators for the benefit of the majority police men, and women went for training in Bomana and joined the discipline force after six months. The real dirt to the State is with those regular police men and women but reservist paid the price any way.

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