Big boost for police training as PNG, Australia open new facilities

The number of new police recruits in Papua New Guinea will double from 300 to 700 per intake, thanks to new support from Australia and the national government’s commitment to increase police numbers across the country.

Police Commissioner David Manning made the announcement when welcoming the new Australian Federal Police [AFP] Commissioner Krissy Barrett during her first visit to PNG.

Commissioner Barrett joined Commissioner Manning to open 14 newly refurbished recruit barracks and take part in a groundbreaking ceremony for new police training facilities at the Bomana Regional Centre of Excellence in Port Moresby.

Commissioner Manning said the upgraded barracks and new facilities will now allow more recruits to be trained, up to 1,400 new officers every year.

“These new facilities will not only help train more police for PNG,but will also support training for officers from other Pacific countries,” he said.

He thanked both the PNG and Australian governments for their continuous support, saying the changes at Bomana show real progress in building a stronger and more professional police force.

Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili also thanked Australia for its partnership, especially under the new security agreement signed between the two countries. He said the agreement will help both nations work together to fight crime across the Pacific.

Australian High Commissioner Ewen McDonald praised the PNG Police leadership, saying he was happy to see discussions on improving manpower now turning into real results.

The AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett pledged her support to work closely with Commissioner Manning and Fiji’s Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu to strengthen policing in PNG and the Pacific region.

The visit ended with the signing of a new security agreement between the three commissioners, PNG, Australia, and Fiji, to build stronger cooperation in law enforcement and regional security.