Such help for police is questionable

 THE Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary has been blessed this Christmas.

According to our newspaper reports, they have received more presents than most other groups or people in the country. Santa seems to have paid more visits to the police force and left them with some expensive presents and toys.

It all started with the arrival of the Australian police officers under the PNG-Australian policing partnership programme, which Deputy Com­missioner of Police Simon Kauba aptly described as “the impetus we need in combating crime”.

During Christmas week, the constabulary was presented with two new police barracks, worth K36 million, at Paiam and Laiagam, in Enga. It was a timely gift from Barrick (Niugini) Ltd, the operator of the giant Porgera gold mine.

Police in the National Cap­ital District will benefit from a proposed new police barracks to be built in the Mores­by North-East electorate. It is a pet project of lo­cal MP Labi Amaiu, who has committed an initial K1 million from his District Ser­vices Improvement Programme (DSIP) funds and is part of his plans to pilot an urbanisation programme in his electorate next year.

Amaiu, who is Vice Minister for Sports, gave an additional K100,000 for rental accommodation for 24 new po­lice recruits who have just completed their initial training at the Bomana Police College. This money will come out of his DSIP funds. As well, Amaiu presented two new vehicles to the Bomana Police College, which will be used by officers from the college to patrol his electorate. The vehicles were bought for K150,000 each, the money for which came from his DSIP funds.

“It’s the best Christmas gift we could ever ask for,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Jim Andrews said during the Christmas Day parade by the recruits at the Boroko Police Station.

In beautiful Madang, the police received several high-powered firearms, costing a cool K58,000 from the Papindo group of companies. The firearms will be used by the officers in the Criminal Investigations Division to fight crime there.

Madang provincial police commander Chief Supt Sylvester Kalaut hailed Papindo as a leading corporate citizen. “This is one company that has and is always willing to help police.”

The timely help to the constabulary, especially by Amaiu and Papindo, is commendable but questionable. 

Is it good governance for a politician to fund a new police barracks, buy vehicles and pay rental accommodation for the constabulary? And is it legitimate for a private business to buy firearms for the police without a contract? 

In Amaiu’s case, he has used K300,000 and committed K1.1m from his DSIP funds to cater for the constabulary’s needs in the nation’s capital.

Firstly, we understand that the two vehicles for the Bomana Police College will be used by its officers to patrol the Moresby North-East electorate. Is it the role of college to fight crime in the electorate?

Secondly, Amaiu has com­mitted K1m towards the construction of a new police barracks in Moresby North-East. 

We understand this project is part of the MP’s urbanisation programme for his electorate but has it been factored into the constabulary’s overall plans for 2014 and beyond?

Surely, it will cost more than K1 million to build a new police barracks and lots more to maintain it. One of the two new police barracks in Enga cost K20 million and that money came from the tax credit scheme not the DSIP. We do not think it is the local MP’s duty to fund the construction of police barracks or other major police facilities. That is the duty of the national government through the Department of Police to properly plan and fund such infrastructure. 

Amaiu’s commitment of DSIP funds to pay for rental accommodation for new police recruits seems like an abuse of funds that were meant to improve service delivery in his electorate. Again, we don’t think it is his duty to resolve accommodation issues for the constabulary.

Like Amaiu, the Papindo group presented a Christmas gift to Madang police that seemed outside their line of duty. Giving food hampers and other harmless goods is one thing but arming the police with high-powered firearms is a totally different proposition.

Let’s hope the firearms do not end up in the hands of some trigger-happy cops.