The Lae Metropolitan Commander says the 44 new police personnel from the Bomana police college will effectively boost police manpower in the city.
Chief Superintendent, Anthony Wagambie Jnr, says the new batch of police personnel will assist the command combat crime and boost manpower during the election period.
The 44 new trainees posted to Morobe, from the Bomana police college in Port Moresby, will assist the Lae Metropolitan Command and the Morobe Police command.
Thirteen police women are among the recruits.
Twenty-nine trainees are under the Lae Metropolitan Command, and the other 29 are posted under the Provincial Police Command.
In a short meeting with the new trainees, Wagambie warned them to follow orders and abide by rules or face disciplinary actions.
Wagambie says the RPNGC has been receiving a lot of criticism from the public over the disorderly behavior by officers.
Wagambie says the Lae metropolitan command is trying to change that image and officers who are caught misbehaving will be disciplined.
The new officers will assist at least 300 police men and women in Lae and the reservists.
“There will be at least 200 reservists and also CS and PNGDF personnel will be assisting us during the polling period,” says Wagambie.