Police stop road checkpoints

By AILEEN KWARAGU
POOR supervision from frontline managers in the police is causing a lot of abuse of power and procedures at checkpoints, police say.
Bribery and extortion are among the most common offences police commit at these road checks.
National Capital District Metropolitan Supt Gedion Ikumu said the decision to stop all checkpoints in Port Moresby was to avoid unruly behaviour from police officers.
“Road checks were an effective policing strategy, however, restraining limitations stifle police ability to provide much-needed supervision,” he said.
He said police were allowed to conduct checkpoints during election operations for various reasons.
“Now that things are back to normal, NCD police has reverted to normal business, all road checks have been stopped” he said.
Responding to a notice sent out to cease all unsupervised checkpoints by NCD public safety and support units, Ikumu said checkpoints would be conducted only on supervision. He said zone commanders and their subordinate station commanders would approve checkpoints when necessary and provide supervision.
“They must ensure that adequate and effective supervision will be provided at all road checks that are set up ,” he said.
Ikumu said at present they were not conducting checkpoints at night because there was no proper lighting and police blue lights.
“Over the last couple of weeks there were reports from the public of extortion, mistreatments and abuses done by rogue police officers,” Ikumu said.
He said since yesterday, any checkpoints conducted by any public safety or support unit in NCD without proper authorisation would be considered disobeying the rule of law.