THE police hierarchy is cracking the whip in a bid to reintroduce positive changes within the Royal PNG Constabulary according to the Chief of Administration Deputy Commissioner Dr Philip Mitna.
The Constabulary's executive management will continue to introduce reforms aimed at improving policing services across the nation, from here onward and into the immediate future.
Dr Mitna said this yesterday after swapping his former position as Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations to assume the role of Deputy Commissioner Administration.
The cabinet recently appointed former DCP Administration Joanne Clarkson to a new diplomatic portfolio representing the RPNGC in Australia, appointed Samson Kua as Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations and appointed Dr Mitna as the new DCP and Chief of Administration taking over from Clarkson.
When assuming office, Dr Mitna said "the nation was going through tough economical times and therefore it was imperative for the Constabulary to tighten up on unnecessary expenditure, and redivert funding to purchase essential items such as uniforms, and to fix some of the rundown police stations and barracks infrastructure across the country.
He said the vehicle reflecting exercise spearheaded by Commissioner Manning will continue unabated until most of the hired vehicles currently used for police operations are replaced with a properly funded government fleet across the nation.
“We have now placed a ban on all unnecessary overtime claims and all Divisional Commanders Provincial Police Commanders and Police Station Commanders will now take more responsibility to ensure that punctuality in the work place and ethical standards are restored and maintained at all times.”
DCP Mitna said our biggest challenge now is to win back public support and trust.
“The tragic events of black Wednesday on January 10 had
severed our relationship with the community especially here in Port Moresby city, and therefore it was imperative for the Constabulary to win back public trust and confidence in the hearts and minds of the people, the government and all other stakeholders,” DCP Mitna said.
He said the Internal Affairs directorate will vigorously pursue all outstanding disciplinary cases, identify corrupt police officers and terminate them from the force.
“We will cleanse this organization to win back the trust and confidence of the people,” DCP Mitna said.
The office of DCP Administration will now reintroduce the police code of ethics contained in the Constabulary Standing Orders (CSO) to stimulate changes in front line policing across the nation, and it will encourage the Divisional Commanders, PPCs and PSCs to drive this ambitious change.
They will have to maintain regular parades and manpower audit, and take stock of their inventory on firearms vehicles, furniture, computers, printers and all other forms of hardware at their disposal.
He said such audit and inventories are part of the organizational culture enshrined in the CSO and Constabulary's Standard Operations Procedure (SOP) manuals.
He said proper accountability of these vital assets will also help to promote the values of good governance within the Constabulary.
“We will reintroduce the CSO and SOPs, and ensure that ACPs PPCs and PSCs are made to exert and maintain these values down the rank and file,” DCP Mitna said.
“The SOP is the guide that basically spells out the rules of engagement for all members of the Constabulary,” he said.
“Much of the values of
discipline accountability and ethical conduct have eroded considerably over the years because policemen and policewomen opted to be ignorant and irresponsible.
In doing so, we acquired the risk of exposing the organization to all forms of exploitation.
That will change from here onward,” DCP Mitna said, while emphatically stressing on the importance of reintroducing the SOP.
He made these remarks in a meeting with some of his senior officers at Police Headquarters yesterday.
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