Transcript
ANDY BAWA: In a command level it is very important that officers are seen to be communicating and seen to be working together as one, because then you hold the men and women under you, and it shows them that there is stability, there is leadership. Because once you start not talking to each other you see that there is a division, there is a crack in the command, and people start to align with each other and that causes a lot of problems for policing itself, and the public sees that and takes advantage. Then you start disintegrating into all kinds of issues. So it is very important that the police hierarchy needs to stabilise this quickly and get some very senior, respectable, experienced officers to take on the command, and the command needs to get together, work together for one purpose, and that is to serve the city residents. It's public confidence that is lacking at the moment.
JOHNNY BLADES: You of course were in charge of the metropolitan NCD (National Capital District) command, and you were also the subject of an attempt by Mr Turi to sideline you at some point. What happened there?
AB: He made a false allegation against me for apparently misappropriating some monies that was given to the NCD commanders as part ofn the Pacific Games police allowance (in 2015). I had accounted for all those monies that were in question and provided acquittal report to police headquarters. He had me charged. I went to court for the last eleven months, fought it out in court, and eventually the national court dismissed the case on the grounds that they had no evidence. So again, it was a very sad scenario where someone had to point a dent at me. And although I tried to explain myself, I was not given that opportunity again. That's now water under the bridge, although I am taking a civil suit against him for unlawful arrest and for other issues that I have faced because of what happened. So it's a sad situation.when people do not follow procedures or do not understand their job well.
JB: What's needed for the force to come together? Is it just about communication as you suggested earlier?
AB: More importantly, we need good leadership at the top. I'm meaning at all levels: at the command level, at the executive level, and the management level. Because once we have good leaders who can provide clear leadership uop at the top, it comes down the rank and file. Once you start having people who don't understand their jobs, or who don't seem to be stable in their jobs, it creates a lot of issues, and it creates a lot of mistrust and miscommunication. So it's quite complex but it's something that can be addressed.
JB: Do you think the police force is under the influence of politicians?
AB: Oh yes, no doubt. That's one of the biggest problems, that the police force is being politicised by politicians. So they're not allowed and given the independence to run the police force. If they can be allowed to be run independently, without undue influence, then we won't be having the problems that we continue to face. So that is one of the factors why we have so many problems in the police force these days. But you know Johnny, I still do believe that one day the Papua New Guinea constabulary will be a better police force in the Pacific. I still always believe in that. Whether it's in my time or it's in the next generation, I still believe that we have that opportunity and we can learn from our past and make it better.
