At least 17 individuals from Wampar Rural LLG were apprehended by police from the Morobe provincial headquarters for allegedly impersonating police officers.
Police say the individuals have been wearing police uniforms, were conducting illegal roadblocks and charging residents at Nadzab, in the Huon Gulf district.
Provincial police commander, Superintendent Jacob Singura, said they have warned the leader of the group, who is a former policeman, time and again but he still continued with the unsanctioned operation, and even issued ID cards to those interested in carrying out police work.
“If you are not trained, don’t wear this uniform,” said PPC Singura. “I’ve been hearing some people saying, ‘voluntary police’. What is voluntary police? There is no such thing as voluntary police in this organisation. We became police officers after we underwent training. That qualified us to wear the uniform that we wear.
“Nobody on the street should wear a police uniform without being trained and without being given an approval by the Commissioner of Police, through a gazette. That’s the procedure.”
Retired senior police officer, Willie Gumian, started the reservist program last year, citing rising lawlessness at Nadzab, and the lack of a police station and regular police.
He said 600 people from wards 1 to 27 in Wampar were issued training IDs, not police ID cards. He claimed that the police hierarchy in the Northern Command are aware of their intentions, pending approval from the police commissioner.
“Process has been followed,” he told media outside the provincial police headquarters. “We are just waiting for the commissioner’s approval and the provincial government funding because it’s an ‘auxiliary constable’.
“I wish to put it on record that none of them were wearing police uniform when they were picked up. They were picked up in their own residences along the way. Impersonation, you got to wear the uniform and be caught by the police. I dispute PPC. I myself am in civilian. I came to town and was going back but went straight into the cell. And they are charging me for impersonation.”
Gumian, who had been a police officer for 32 years, denied that his members had been wearing police uniforms and setting up unauthorised roadblocks at Nadzab to collect money from commuters and residents.
However, some of his “trainees” were in police uniform. When asked, Gumian said he had no idea where they had gotten the uniforms from.
PPC Singura said the suspects will be charged accordingly and can plead their case before the magistrate.