Police to provide security

UNARMED police are to provide security for election teams the Middle and South Fly districts for the upcoming elections in Western province, acting South Fly police commander Inspector Soiwa Ricker says.
“The bulk of the people to be engaged in security operations in isolated polling areas in these vast water-logged and savannah districts will be former police officers, auxiliary and reserve policemen,” he said.
Ricker said they lacked manpower, transportation, communication, firearms and ammunition.
“That’s why I have recruited 357 former police officers, ancillary and reserve police officers to help out. I have only 34 regular police officers. We also have only two dinghies to transport the security officers,” he said.
Ricker said the Election Commission allocated K120 million for security operation in the country for the elections.
“My budget allocation for operation here has been cut down to about K300,000. The bulk of that money will go towards allowances for the security officers,” he said.
“In fact, I ‘am now collecting their bank account numbers and their allowances will be paid directly into their accounts.”
Ricker said that due to lack of firearms, ammunition and dinghies, they set up two rapid-response teams at Daru and Balimo stations.
“These teams will be armed and will have one dinghy each and they will respond to a polling team if needed. There is no radio communication, so we will be depending on mobile network coverage.
“We will be given CUG numbers and will be using them for communication. But we have no vehicles on the vast savannah plains of Wipim, More Head and Bencbach areas.”