Governor Agarobe wants all Central Police Vehicles to be marked

PNG's Central Province governor Robert Agarobe is calling on police hierarchy to clearly mark all Central police vehicles as ‘CENTRAL POLICE’ within a time frame of three months.

He made this demand after visiting a Mekeo village where a youth was allegedly killed by police officers using an unmarked vehicle. 

This sparked Inauabui villagers to stage a road block on a section of the Hiritano highway next to the village. 

Governor Agarobe made the call in the presence of NCD/Central Command ACP Anthony Wagambie, who was also present at Inauabui village.

Mr Agarobe said killing of a youth from Inauabui by police was unnecessary and shouldn't have happened at all,

The villagers presented a petition to Governor Agarobe and agreed to open the road.

Governor Agarobe promised the villagers that he will return to the village with his reply on the petition early next week.

Mr Agarobe encouraged the Inauabui people to cooperate with the investigation team, to successfully prosecute responsible police officers behind the alleged murder and lock them behind bars. 

The villagers are demanding all police operations along the Hiritano highway to use government registration vehicles with no tinted glasses. 

Mr Agarobe said any unmarked vehicle with people in police uniform will be seen as imposters or criminals and will be at the mercy of the public. 

He said the provincial government is willing to pay for the signage work for all Central Police vehicles. 

Meanwhile the Governor plans to build a border post on the two highways of the province which will create more police visibility on the roads and deter crimes in the province.

He also says Provincial Government also plans to pay for 300 New recruits from Central Province with Grade 12 certificates to join the police force starting this year.

He said the province wants to see 60% of all police personnel in Central Police to be from Central province in the next three years while 40% will come from outside of the province.

Agarobe adds, currently there is as huge imbalance with a minority of police recruitment from the PAPUA region and Central province especially throughout the years. 

He said the disciplinary force needs to balance its recruitment with 25% of personnel from each region of the country.

NBC News / PNG Today

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