Tokura to restore public confidence in police force

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK and MALINDA KALE
ACTING Police Commissioner Francis Tokura hopes to provide the leadership which will effectively address law and order issues that continue to be a huge challenge for the nation.
Addressing the nation for the first time in his new position, Tokura said he wanted to restore public confidence in the force and solicit the support of the people to help police in their work.
“I will ensure that there is good governance, accountability, fairness and due diligence in the discharge of duties of individual police officers and the constabulary as a whole,” he said.
“Law and order continues to be a challenge for the country and constabulary.”
He has no plans yet to initiate new policies but will continue the policies implemented by his predecessor Gari Baki and his team.
Meanwhile, the PNG Police Union has questioned the way the Government had treated the outgoing police commissioners.
Union president Lowa Tambua said outgoing police commissioner Gari Baki and his two deputy commissioners Raphael Huafolo and Jim Andrews were career officers who had severed this country with distinction and honesty and deserved respect.
“They gave their lives (to the force) and to be unceremoniously dumped in (such) a manner will not be tolerated by the constabulary and the police union,” he said.