Prison food supplies running low

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
PORT Moresby Metropolitan Superintendent Perou N’Dranou is concerned that the food ration to feed people locked in cells has run out.
He said that as Christmas was approaching, crime rates were increasing and more people were being arrested.
“I was recently told that the accounts had already closed and we do not have money to buy food to feed people that we keep in custody,” N’Dranou said.
He said the police cells were also running out of space and they could not continue to arrest people.
“People need to take responsibilities for their own actions to help us to keep the level of law and order situations low in our communities,” he said.
He said the public were complaining about police brutality and the discipline level of police officers on their daily policing routines.
“Well, sometimes situations like lack of papers to take down reports, not enough space in the cells to keep the law offenders, not enough food to feed them, not enough fuel in our vehicles and not enough vehicles and manpower to be everywhere in the city at once to respond to crimes and complaints, happen.”
N’Dranou said for those reasons police officers had to go out of their way to at least use force as a deterrent to control crime in the city.
“Unless we have enough resources and manpower, policing will be an issue in the city.”