Police work in SHP affected: Kauke

By JAMES GUMUNO
THE closure of the Buiebi jail, burning down of the Mendi district and national court house, the small capacity of Mendi police cell and logistics problems are badly affecting police work in Southern Highlands, the provincial police commander officer says.
Chief Inspector Gedion Kauke said yesterday that police stopped arresting minor offenders two weeks ago because there was no space in the cell to keep them.
Kauke said the cell could hold only up to 30 offenders and had reached its capacity.
“We want to lock up offenders committing major crimes like murder, rape, arson, attempted murder and other serious criminal offences and take them to court,” he said.
He said that the burning down of the Mendi district and national courthouse had become a burden to police to process the offenders on time.
Kauke said that it was becoming “a very expensive exercise” for the police to transport the alleged offenders to the Ialibu district and then to Baisu jail in Western Highlands when the court wanted them to be in jail and issue remandee warrants.
He said that police travelled all the way from Mendi to Ialibu then to Baisu jail and return.
He said that it was very risky besides costly.