Commissioner for Police

The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) is no different.

After 26 years since an overview structure was produced for the RPNGC, Commissioner for Police, Gari Baki, presented its latest and reviewed structure for the constabulary to the Department of Personnel Management.

During the SOM1 meetings last month, Baki made it clear that it was the constabulary’s intention to support the government’s plans in ensuring that the minimum service delivery framework at National Planning talks must be complemented in the structure.

This follows the killing of two police officers during the weekend in what was believed to be an election-related incident.

The reinforcements will also assist in the detection and arrest of the murder suspects.

A team of police investigators, including police forensic officers, are currently in Wabag. They are investigating the July killing of policemen. After that they will travel to Southern Highlands to reconstruct the crime scene.

Commissioner for Police, Gari Baki, confirmed this when speaking to media yesterday.

Commissioner for Police, Gari Baki, this morning said this in response to the killings in Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, over the weekend.

“I want all these senseless killers to surrender themselves to the law.”

Baki warns that if they do not surrender themselves, they (police) will go after them.

“If we have the firearms to go after them to detain them, we will do it,” he says.

He issued this warning to the people up in Southern Highlands and said they should think about his words very carefully.

Commissioner Baki told Loop PNG this morning that the killings were ridiculous and unnecessary.

“We are losing policemen’s lives for unnecessary reasons. These people do not have any dignity for life, let alone care about human life at all.”

Believed to be election-related, Baki said it is obvious that these were supporters of the losing candidate.

“These officers don’t even know that these people are supporters of the losing candidate or if they were disappointed about the declaration of William Powi.”

The RPNGC is the only organisation that does joint patrol with its Australian partners along the borders in dealing with transnational crime issues.

Commissioner for Police, Gari Baki, upon signing a memorandum of agreement with smoke company, British American Tobacco, gave assurances that police will be dealing with the issue head on to curb this criminal activity.

The agreement paves way for private and public sectors to work together to curb this illegal flow of fake and contraband cigarettes reaching the shores of the country.

Operators of illegal tobacco do not pay taxes, which can be seen with packets of cigarettes being sold for as low as K10 in retail shops.

This basically means that they are not paying their taxes to the people of this country and are stealing from the government.

Commissioner for Police, Gari Baki, said despite the fact that the objectivity of the call-out has not been fully achieved, that does not mean the joint forces are not aware of people who are still holding onto illegal weapons.

“Hela will be the first place of polling, there will be a lot of focus on the province during the last leg of the election process.”

The launch of this operation is to assist the Electoral Commission with the elections that will be conducted in the three border provinces; East Sepik, West Sepik and Western Province.

More than 300 personnel from the Royal PNG Constabulary, Correctional Services and PNGDF will be engaged and tasked in a joint force to carry out security operations along the borders of PNG.

The Commissioner for Police, Gari Baki, along with his contingent, is expected to be travelling into the province to launch the joint border operation launch.

This is because commanders at the highest and lowest levels have compromised their rank and authority.

Commissioner for Police, Gari Baki, says as police officers, it is their duty and responsibility to demonstrate to the government, and the people, that they can serve and protect without compromising their integrity.

“I have introduced the year of discipline in 2017 and I expect all members of the Constabulary, including the new recruits that passed out last Friday, to uphold these values.”

The first batch of recruit totalled 242 which consist of 46 women and 196 male.

Present to officiate at the recruits passing out was the Commissioner for Police, Gary Baki.

Commissioner Baki stressed to the recruits that life in the Police force is going to be different, tough and challenging.

He encouraged the recruits to be strong, forgo bad habits and embrace positive change in their professional lives so as to fulfil the fundamental objective of being a law enforcement officer.