Return High-powered guns: O'neill

PNG Prime Minister: Peter O'neill

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has put an immediate stop to the use of high-powered firearms on a daily basis by police, restricting its use only to special circumstances when the police is on a call-out by the government.

Mr. O'Neil prefers the use of high-powered arms must be regulated and administered under an enabling legislation and administrative guidelines of the Royal PNG Constabulary.

He says the use of these firearms has become regular and sometimes quite unnecessary, and has become a growing public concern.

In a letter to dated Tuesday this week to Police Minister Nixon Duban, the Prime Minister ordered the immediate return of all high-powered firearms to police armouries to be securely stored.

O'Neil says no firearm should be issued without proper authorisation.

Minister Duban has also been instructed to review the use of the Firearms Policy as part of a holistic restructure of the Police Force. O'Neil says side-arms should be the only preferred weapon for normal day-to-day policing duties.

Mr O’Neill says both the Police Minister and the Attorney General will work together to create an enabling administrative and legislative framework for controlled use of high-powered firearms.