Acting Police Commissioner

Manning said the Government of PNG has allocated K7.5 million for police security operations for the Bougainville Referendum. The RPNGC involvement will see a total of 50 police personnel from around PNG being deployed to Bougainville to assist the Bougainville Police Service (BPS).

“These police personnel deployed to Bougainville are actually Bougainvilleans working in other parts of PNG or other Papua New Guineans with attachments to Bougainville through marriage,” Manning stated.

Acting Commissioner Manning signed the MoA at the National Police Headquarters in Port Moresby with Governor Gary Juffa. The signing was witnessed by staff from the Oro Provincial Government and senior police officers.

Manning said the MoA was significant for the Constabulary in that it would allow the constabulary to further engage with communities to develop more workable strategies in addressing law and order in and around PNG.

This is in a bid to improve police response time and deter crime.

Acting Police Commissioner, David Manning, said the plan is to get this initiative rolling with the Chamber of Commerce in Port Moresby before doing the same for the other major centres throughout the country.

“The proposal to install distress call buttons connecting major business houses with the main police operations centre will prompt police to respond immediately and accurately when businesses come under criminal attack.

The signing ceremony, which took place at the National Police Headquarters at Konedobu in the National Capital District, was witnessed by senior officials from the PNG Defence Force, the National Fisheries Authority, the PNG Australia Policing Partnership and the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

Acting Commissioner Manning said this has brought a sigh of relief to police families there after years of living in unhygienic conditions.

Manning said ongoing blockages to the sewerage system and water outages caused a lot of concerns, especially with the residents and the RPNGC management until Police Minister Bryan Kramer personally intervened to get the government's attention.

The September 28^th raid sparked off a confrontation with settlers resulting in two deaths.

Manning said the suspension is normal procedure undertaken by the Constabulary in any administrative or criminal investigation.

“This number I am told is increasing on a daily basis as we have people coming in from the other provinces,” Manning said in a press briefing regarding the Erima disturbance.

“Unplanned settlements are increasing at an alarming rate and if not contained will pose a serious law and order challenge for the NCD police.

“We cannot develop this city by holding onto the current attitude and behaviour that we currently have.

Though he appreciates the opportunity and confidence in him, he says he will not take his appointment lightly.

“We now have an opportunity to set a solid foundation as to how best we can rebuild the constabulary,” Manning stated.

“And I think this is our approach, in the interim, to rebuild the constabulary. We are well aware of the challenges and if it takes the whole 7,000 members of the constabulary to drive those changes then that is what we are planning to do, every rank and file.”

Francis Tokura gave as an example the three recent high profile arrests of public servants.

Warning bells sounded when a senior PNG Customs officer was arrested for his involvement in an alleged tax evasion, the arrest of MRDC Managing Director Augustine Mano as well as the arrest of the CEO of the National Gaming Control Board.

Acting Police Commissioner Tokura said the senior management of the Royal PNG Constabulary had no visibility on these cases until the arrests were published in the media.

Francis Tokura says he will ensure they continue to carry out their constitutional mandate of protecting lives and property, as well as maintaining law and order.

Tokura, who was the chief of the Bougainville Police Service prior to his appointment, assures that they will be doing their level best to move the Royal PNG Constabulary forward, which includes continuing with the initiatives set by the former management.