Police plans to retain units

By Sally Tiwari
POLICE plans to make its family and sexual violence units a permanent section in the force.
Speaking at the launching of the PNG Ports Corporation White Ribbon campaign to end violence against women, assistant police commissioner Frank Tokura said the unit was operating on funds received from development assistance.
ACP Tokura said a group of senior officers in the force was working on a proposal to be submitted to the establishment control committee in March.
He said they were considering a five-year plan to support the establishment of such units in all provincial centres plus a strategic and sustainable capacity development programme for all staff of the units and the constabulary.
“We want to avoid a piecemeal intervention that does not address structural issues within the organisations but something that can be done to effectively address this issue,” he said.
Tokura said the family and sexual violence unit was set up in 2007 and
expanded to Lae and Mt Hagen last year.
“But so far, they have been faced with many problems such as high rate of gender-based violence in the police community, a lack of training and limited resources.”
He said the force had to deal with its own shortfalls before it could effectively address the needs of the people.