All-female detective program to be opened

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner – Administration, Joanne Clarkson, will officially open an all-female detective training program on October 21 at the Police Training College at Bomana in the National Capital District.

The training program, which commenced on Monday October 14, will run for seven weeks. The program is being delivered under the PNG-Australia Policing Partnership model of utilising both Australian Federal Police and Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary trainers.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Clarkson said this is the fourth detective training program since 2018 under the PNG-Australia Policing Partnership (PNG-APP) and the first ever all-female detective training program being undertaken in the country.

Clarkson said this program was the initiative of Detective Chief Sergeant Fiona Kakarere, who is an integral part of the Investigation Training Team at the Bomana Police Training College. In June 2019, Kakarere with the assistance of the PNG-APP made a submission to the RPNGC Executive for an all-female program to be delivered. This was supported by the RPNGC Executive in line with the organisation’s support on gender equality.

“This is by no means discriminatory but intended to reduce the current imbalance in the number of female police detectives within the police force. In fact, of the last four courses, women only accounted for 14 percent of the attendees,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Clarkson said.

Detective Chief Sergeant Kakarere has seen six Detective Training Programs delivered over 2018 and 2019 and was Dux of Detective Training Program 1 of 2018.

“We should note that Fiona was recently the winner of the 2019 Australian Council for Women in Policing (ACWAP) Excellence in Policing for Women in the Asia Pacific Region Award for this initiative. This is a huge achievement in itself and I want to commend Fiona for continuing to be a strong advocate for women in policing,” Clarkson said.

The detective training has not been conducted by the RPNGC since 2003, when it ceased being delivered at the Bomana Police Training College (BPTC). The Detective Training Program (DTP) was relaunched by the RPNGC and PNG-APP in 2018, with three programs delivered in the lead up to APEC with 58 new detectives graduating successfully during that time.

Clarkson said during 2019, with the continued support of the PNG-APP, a further three programs were delivered, with 60 graduates adding to the investigator ranks. This is a total of 118 over the two years the program has been running.

She said the DTP is an intensive seven-week program and has been designed to enhance participants’ knowledge on current PNG legislation, RPNGC investigative policies, procedures and practices, and to provide comprehensive training on various aspects of investigation management.

The women attending the current all-women training program all work in Criminal Investigations Division, Sexual Offences Squad and general crime areas and come from all over PNG including Mendi, Tari, Kavieng, Vanimo, Buka, Kerevet, Kainantu, Lae, Wewak, Kimbe, Kokopo, Simbu, Wabag, Manus, Alotau, Central and NCD.

Clarkson said this will be the first time two female names will go up on the Honours Board for the one program – the Dux and the Leader of DTP 4/2019.

“I am proud of this fact and want to encourage the participants to take this program seriously and equip themselves with the knowledge that will enhance their performances as police detectives,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Clarkson stressed.

(Acting Deputy Police Commissioner – Administration, Joanne Clarkson)

Author: 
Press release