Salika stresses on discipline and commitment

National, Normal
Source:

The National – Wednesday, February 9, 2011

By SAMUEL RAITANO and JACOB POK
DISCIPLINE, commitment and responsibility are the three main aspects to be considered by the police, correctional services and the legal fraternity in promoting and enforcing law and order in the country, deputy chief justice Gibbs Salika said.
While addressing the disciplined forces and the legal fraternity at the opening of the Legal Year in Port Moresby yesterday, Salika stressed the three aspects as fundamental in everyday course of legal duties.
“Self-discipline is like a bridge from where you are now, to where you want to be.
“Discipline cannot be effective without commitment.
“And responsibility is to take ownership of our actions through commitment and in a disciplined manner,” he stressed.
Salika, while addressing an audience comprising fellow judges, law practitioners, officers from the Royal PNG Constabulary and the correctional services, said that people had been continually blaming the leaders and others for the woes of the country without self-examination as to how to be responsible and be involved in solving the problems.
He challenged the police and the correctional services to be role models for the community and the society by being disciplined in their approach while carrying out their duties in order to receive respect and cooperation from the public.
While challenging the police, he said that aggressive behaviour while enforcing law and order only hindered the civilians to cooperate and abide by the law.
 “As a citizen, most of the time, I see police chasing betelnut vendors in the city, urging them to sell their stuff in proper market places, but vendors often come back to the same location to sell when there is no police presence, and this has been ongoing,” Salika said.
He said this only caused police and city authorities to be more aggrieved, which results in unnecessary assaults and beating of vendors.
At the same time, this causes the police to lose discipline in their line of duty.
He urged the law enforcing bodies to be wary of their conduct toward the public and learn to impart more discipline in order to gain respect and trust from the public in return.