By Podi Vai – EMTV Cadet Journalist
Earlier today (October 31), twenty-four trained people from the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Border Authority, and PNG Customs passed out as police reservists.
Today’s graduation parade dress of the easily-recognizable RPNGC blue was something outside of their normal day-to-day work responsibilities.
In his keynote address, Police Commissioner Gari Baki said they (police trainees) have decided to become members of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary under the reserved constabulary regulation.
Baki reminded them that this regulation finds them under the Police Force Act and that they are required to perform certain responsibilities in their roles as reservists.
Baki said in order to exercise their roles as police officers, they are to utilize the powers of arrest, to detain people and charge people.
According to Training Commandant Superintendent Peter Philip, the police reservists go through the same training regular policemen undergo.
“The reservists are trained on how to do interview process, arrest procedures, three code of ethics on how to be transparent and to do their work through honesty which are covered under the code of ethics,” said Philip.
He said that everyone who is trained as a police reservist, including the immigration and customs officers, will also be involved in APEC security operations.
