RPNGC announces record intake of police recruits to 700 plus

More than 700 police recruits will undergo training at the National Centre of Excellence in Bomana, outside Port Moresby.

The Royal PNG Constabulary [RPNGC] in a statement released this week, announced that a total of 715 candidates were initially shortlisted for the second batch of 2025 recruits from the Highlands, New Guinea Islands, and Southern regions.

Out of these, 688 recruits confirmed their acceptance and are now in Bomana preparing to begin a six-month intensive training program. Twenty-seven candidates declined the offer.

Among the confirmed recruits are 85 women.

This is the first time the RPNGC has taken in such a large number of recruits in a single intake. In previous years, training capacity was limited to between 250 and 300 recruits.

The increase follows recent upgrades to training facilities at Bomana, allowing the Constabulary to meet the Government’s directive to boost recruitment.

Regional breakdown of confirmed recruits:

Highlands Region – Eastern Highlands [31], Simbu [50], Jiwaka [22], Western Highlands [41], Enga [5], Southern Highlands [13].

New Guinea Islands Region – Manus [15], West New Britain [28], East New Britain [40], New Ireland [7], Autonomous Region of Bougainville [8].

Southern Region – NCD [315], Central [58], Gulf [19].

Meanwhile, the RPNGC says applications for the 2026 Regular Recruit and Police Cadet programs will open later this month, providing more opportunities for Papua New Guineans to join the force.