The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary is training 27 cadet officers at the Bomana Police Training College to become well-disciplined and trained officers.
There are six females and 21 male cadet officers undergoing a program for three weeks on disciplinary procedures.
Director for Police Internal Affairs, Chief Superintendent Robert Ali, said discipline is everyone’s responsibility and instilling such behaviour and character at an early stage in the cadets’ training is important for the Constabulary.
During Ali’s presentation, he mentioned that discipline applies to everyone within the Police Commissioner’s command and control value chain, regardless of gender, culture, religion or social status.
Chief Supt Ali said to the training cadets that discipline is their personal profile or behaviour and helps them build and shape their personal character.
“Discipline tells who and what you are. Who you are is what you are,” Ali said, adding that discipline is where officers maintain coherence, consistency, conduct and regulate their behaviour.
“When you finish here and go to your respective postings you must maintain discipline at all times. When you do that you earn respect from your superiors and subordinates. Your character is your value,” he said.
Ali said when officers stabilise their credibility, their supervisors would respect them and promote them.
“Character is fixed and you are one person. Bosses would market and promote you by looking at your character and how disciplined you are.”
Ali told the cadet officers that when they maintain discipline, they promote the reputation of RPNGC and introduce themselves to the public as a disciplined person.
“Your supervisors would select officers among others because of trust. Trust is not a gift. It could not be bought or sold with money. How much money you put in would not stabilise your character. Trust is like an account. Because of your good character you could invest trust to others.”
Chief Supt Ali reminded the cadet officers that the claims against the State for police brutality and undisciplined behaviour has run into the hundreds of millions and it was incumbent upon each commissioned officer to maintain personal discipline and self-respect and in turn, demand such from their subordinates.
(The 27 cadet officers at Police Training College in Bomana, NCD, with Director Internal Affairs Chief Superintendent Robert Ali, centre right, and Chief Inspector Leana Moere)