18 policemen and women have been equipped with skills and techniques to conduct investigations, interviews and further prepare competent court files like never before.
All these were made possible through a one-week investigative interviewing course. The workshop concluded last week in Lae at the Bumbu Barracks police training cell.
Investigative interviewing is a key component to police personnel becoming efficient and professional in dealing with suspects for proper conviction of crimes committed.
Speaking on behalf of the course participants from the Lae Metropolitan command and Morobe province, Senior Constable Martin Kaona, attached to Lae’s Internal Investigations Unit, said the course, though new, was tough, challenging, interesting and very helpful in their line of duty.
Senior Constable Kaona said it provided a very new concept of becoming efficient but also respecting rights of witnesses and suspects, rather than the use of fists, which is an unbecoming behaviour.
He said past experiences have seen criminal cases thrown out by the courts due to lack of evidence as police personnel lacked the proper knowledge to conducting interviews and investigations for convictions.
“I must honestly say that current police officers need better training as the same old outdated investigation patterns and styles have been already passed down to our upcoming young police officers and investigators,” Snr Constable Kaona said in front of senior officers, including Metropolitan Superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jr and senior officers of AFP.
Kaona said the fact that a police investigator’s job is becoming very difficult is because of the rapid changing techniques due to the new technologies involved in crimes.
“We must know that PNG is on our shoulders and we must be smarter, better, clever, efficient and competent police officers to combat crimes and put away wrongdoers in prison for a long time.
“This is so that our people, community and country can live and move freely in peace and harmony and enjoy the developments and services provided by the government without fear and harassment from criminals,” he stressed.
He challenged his course participants to change the bad perception of the public towards police and restore the trust and confident that has been lost many, many years ago.
This is the second course run by the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary in partnership with the Australian Federal Police.
(Course participant receiving certificate after attending a week-long course at Bumbu Police Barracks on investigative interviewing.)
