Port Moresby (The National): QUEENSLAND police personnel will serve as second in command at all police stations in the NCD and in Lae, it was learnt yesterday.
They will serve as advisors and mentors but are unlikely to be serve out in the field immediately.
This follows a visit yesterday by the Queensland state police hierarchy including Police Minister Jack Demsey and the police commissioner who arrived in Port Moresby.
They were met by Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga, deputy commissioner Simon Kauba and Minister for Sport Justin Tkatchenkco who stood in for Prime Minister Peter O’Neill at the Jackson International Terminal yesterday.
Also in the visiting delegation was Queesland police commissioner Ian Stewart, assistant commissioner Paul Doyle, Supt Peter Fleming, chief of staff to the commissioner David Crossen, ministerial advisor Det Sgt Michael Kelly and Snr Cons Luke Asmar.
The group had a short briefing with senior police management at the police head quarters and then proceeded to visit Boroko and Gordon police stations and eventually to Bomana police college.
The purpose of their trip was to assess current situation of police stations in NCD and confirm dialogue on arrangements that will see the deployment of Queensland police officers to PNG.
ACP Jim Andrews said PNG and Queensland police have a cooperative working arrangement and the delegation was here to absorb the situation on the ground to strengthen the cooperation that the PNG government and Queensland state government have at the moment.
“They will be attached with station commanders in order to upgrade basic policing within the stations and also to assist with the operations of our stations working together as counterparts. RPNGC senior positions will not be affected.”
The Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart also mentioned that the exchange programme that is also part of the agreement will see selected RPNGC officers be sent to Queensland to work alongside officers there in order to improve their working capacity when they return to the country.
“Selected PNG police officers will be sent to be attached with our police stations in Queensland for either 6 months and up to 12 months as part of the arrangement.”
The delegation will leave Port Moresby this afternoon.