by Rachel Shisei – EM TV News, Madang
A total of thirty-three new recruits, fresh out of Bomana have joined the Madang police force, in a bid to boost manpower, and tackle the increasing crime rate in the province.
The new recruits are currently undergoing training, specifically aimed at familiarisation of Madang Province, and its current affairs.
However the Provincial Police Commander, Sylvester Kalaut, said that 33 is not enough, given the current ratio of police officers, against the Madang population, which stands at 1police officer is to 3,000 people.
“With the chronic accommodation problem, the senior members of the Force, will do their best, to accommodate only 24 of these new recruits, and the rest will be sent to Ramu in the Bogia district. The new officers are currently being housed at a guesthouse,” Kalaut said.
PPC Kalaut also mentioned, that it is not easy to maintain law and order of different ethnic groups without adequate infrastructures, like housing, and the officers are doing all they can, using whatever they have and can manage.
Mr Kalaut is appealing to the Madang public, to stop the blame game, and take the responsibility to address issues from the community level up.
Mary Kaman, President of the National Council of Women supported the PPC’s comments, saying that curbing crime is everyone’s responsibility.
“Police have to work with us, the public. I’m not saying they are not doing their job, because they work very hard, but as we can all see, they lack support,” said Mrs Kaman.
Meanwhile, the public in Madang have also agreed, that boosting the police force with the necessary infrastructures is a must not only for the province, but for all other provinces in the country as a whole.
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