By GEORGINA MICHAEL
The welfare of our policemen and women is very important, says the new Minister for Police Sir John Pundari.
He was speaking during the hand-over, take-over ceremony with former Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr, who is now Works and Highways Minister.
“Accommodation is one of the most important things to be considered as far as welfares are concerned. When more people are put into training to be policemen and women, Of course, they come with accommodation needs and without a good leadership I know that we would not have achieved the goals of accommodating our policemen and women in the country,” Sir John said.
He said this while elaborating on some of the achievements of the police department under the leadership of former Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr. He said these achievements included the increase in the number of police men and women, the investment in the police collage, building of new accommodations and others, however these surely comes with its own challenges.
“An example would be the investment of the Police College, the National Center of Excellence. I am very much satisfied, given the need of policing manpower in the country. We don’t just have a police training college, but it is a college that has been upgraded to a center of excellence, where you don’t only have our country men training to be police officers in the country, but that it has also extended to our friends in the Pacific.
“I am also looking forward to visiting Mt. Hagen next week to open one of those infrastructures that as a result of our partnership arrangements, we will have accommodations for our policemen and women.”
Mr Tsiamalili said: “We’re proud that in the little bit of time we’ve been able to increase our police men and women. We started off with 550 and now this year, you’ll be pushing out almost 1000 men and women out into the country. And that will come with its challenges, because while we recruit more men and women for policing, the demand for housing, their welfare will also increase and that is also very important “
“Hence, while the new ones are coming into the system, we also have to look at what is currently the maintenance of our current infrastructure right across the country as well as providing new accommodations.”