Police manpower to double in five years, says Rambi

POLICE manpower will more than double in five years to counter law and order challenges ahead, Police Minister Sani Rambi said.
Mr Rambi told Parliament police numbers would be increased to 7,000 by 2013 and 10,000 by 2015.
During Question Time in Parliament, Mr Rambi was asked what plans were in place to contain such latest terrorist type attacks and sophisticated crimes that are on the rise in the country.
One example of such an attack was the grenade blast that killed a policewoman in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands province.
Mr Rambi said the grenade used in Mt Hagen that killed a wanted man and the female police officer was a PNG Defence Force grenade.
He said a lot of grenades have been stolen from the Defence Force and were in the hands of criminals.
“The Prime Minister has recommended a beef-up of police personnel by 7,000 in 2013 and 10,000 by 2015.”
He said the Government had tasked him to do a master plan and the Government was looking for ways to
address the law and order issues.
Responding to the security of the LNG project in questions raised by Mendi MP Isaac Joseph, Mr Rambi said most tribal fights in the project areas were not LNG-related and the Government had stationed two police mobile squads in strategic locations.
He said this would provide more to cover the footprints area of the LNG project once construction starts.