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Sunday, December 08, 2013

Further 12 Australian Federal Police officers to arrive in PNG on Monday

A further 12 Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers  will arrive in Papua New Guinea on Monday December 9 to work alongside their counterparts to boost community policing operations in Port Moresby and Lae.

Their arrival will increase the number of AFP officers working as part of the PNG-Australia Policing Partnership to 59.

Commissioner of the Royal PNG Constabulary Toami Kulunga welcomed the news of the arrival of the additional AFP officers, saying the partnership of between the RPNGC and the AFP has been going from strength to strength.

He said many Papua New Guineans including the rank and file of the RPNGC have expressed support for the program thus far.

Head of the AFP contingent Assistant Commissioner Alan Scott, "The goal of our enhanced mission is, in partnership with the RPNGC, to continue to develop the capacity of the RPNGC to provide sustainable and quality policing to the people of PNG." 

Assistant Commissioner Scott said that the 30 AFP officers who arrived in November have been working very closely with their RPNGC colleagues.

"AFP officers have been out with local police in a number of locations across Port Moresby in the last few weeks and the feedback I have received have been very positive," Assistant Commissioner Scott said.

The deployment will see an additional 50 AFP officers in PNG by the end of this year. The AFP officers do not have policing powers in PNG, but provide advice, guidance and assistance for a range of day to day policing matters.

Specific areas which will be supported include community policing, station management and supervision, community liaison, traffic operations, criminal investigations and dealing with sexual offences.

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