Police track Baker

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
POLICE are tracking the movement of wanted criminal Tommy Baker and his gang members, setting a 60-day timeframe for their operation in Alotau, says Police Commissioner David Manning.
Yesterday, one of the gang members who had an infected gunshot wound, gave himself up to police and was taken to the Alotau Hospital for treatment.
Comm Manning told The National that the police operation to find Baker would “more or else take the same amount of time it took to get (the late notorious criminal) William Kapris”.
“It is an ongoing operation.
“We made an assessment, we were briefed and we are working with (the people of Alotau) to not only regain their confidence, but also (establish) a community information network to facilitate the surrender or capture of Tommy Baker and his gang,” Comm Manning said.
The cost of the police 60-day operation is around K2.2 million and will be implemented in phases.
Some of the funding will be used for normal daily police operations.
“It would require a two-month period to get on top of the current situation in the province,” he said.
“The operation would take 60 days at its minimum best timeframe to work in.”
Police will make a submission to Cabinet and also brief ministers on the situation on the ground in Alotau and what is required to ensure “we are in a position that guarantees a greater degree of success of the operation”.
“We are currently looking at reinforcing current efforts with a forensics team to come in, and the arson case relating to the burning of the police barracks to be investigated and documented,” Manning said.