A workshop in Lae was told that a suspects must be arrested before being detained in police cells.
Acting Assistant Commissioner (ACP) of Police for the Criminal Directorate, Chief Superintendent Vincent Isouve said police must not detain someone without first arresting them.
"It is a violation of human rights under Section 42 of the National Constitution to detain someone without first arresting them. An offender must be arrested and charged and then detained," he said.
He said this during an Internal Affairs Directorate (IAD) regional training course in Lae today.
He said the mentality of detaining someone in the cells and later charging them is often ignored.
The former IAD boss told course participants they must enforce this to their subordinates after returning to their respective stations in the region.
IAD officers from the Momase region are in Lae for a two week course on issues which affect police in terms of IAD.