PNG faces Shortage of Police Personnel: NRI Report

By ANGELA VAVAR

PORT MORESBY: PAPUA New Guinea’s shortage of police personnel and lack of facilitiescontinue to hinder effective law enforcement in the country, says an official.
PNG National Research Institute Director Osborne Sanida said “Inadequate police manpower and poor facilities continue to affect daily police operations throughout PNG where law and order situation has been deteriorating and drastically.
“A rise in lawlessness, is being created by the clear shortage of police manpower, which is further threatening businesses, government properties,and the safety of the public in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

“The current trend of escalating lawlessness in PNG poses a critical threat to the country’s national security, economic growth, and development aspirations,” he said.
He said Law-and-order issues continue to affect businesses, basic service delivery, and threaten the safety of people in both urban and rural areas. Based on the PNGNRI’s recent edition the Spotlight Volume 18 Issue 3 titled:  “Strategies to Address Lawlessness and Strengthen Law and Order in Papua New Guinea”, the report examines PNG’s shortage of police personnel as a key factor hindering effective law enforcement and discusses actionable strategies for enhancing recruitment, training, and
deployment efforts country.
Researcher and Author Joe Harry said the paper examines PNG’s shortage of police personnel as a key factor hindering effective law enforcement and discusses actionable strategies for strengthening recruitment, training and deployment efforts across the country.
In the report a graph shows the total number of police, population to police ratio and population for selected provinces in each regions, and based on the District and provincial development plan 2023, shows that urban areas had higher number of police personnel compared to rural centers with a much higher population.
Harry said “the shortages of police officers in PNG has far reaching consequences, exuberating issues related to crime, public safety and the overall effectiveness of law enforcement. These challenges arise from the current police forces inability to adequately respond to the increasing demands of maintaining law and order.
“For instance, in a recent tribal conflict in Porgera, Enga Province, New Porgera Mining Limited suspended most of its operations after more than 30 people (including two mine workers) were killed, and properties worth
millions of Kina were lost (Gray, 2024).
“Another violent tribal conflict amongst various feuding clans in Enga’s Wapenamanda has drawn the attention of the international community regarding the escalating lawlessness in PNG.
“Similarly, more than 17 female students were kidnapped in a remote village in Hela Province in June 2023 and in addition to the growing lawlessness in the Highlands provinces, several previously peaceful provinces in other regions of PNG have now become areas of significant security risks.
“Over 30 young people were detained following an inter-tribal conflict in West New Britain Province, resulting in two fatalities, numerous injuries, and several houses being set ablaze on April 10, 2022. Moreover, a barbaric killing in Goilala, Central Province, which was labelled as an act of cannibalism after a group of young boys exhibiting chopped-up human body parts in a video that went viral.
“Tribal violence and other forms of violence are not limited to a certain region in PNG but is hitting the entire country. Unfortunately, in these crises, it is evident that local police forces and the PNG Defense Force (PNGDF) were outnumbered, with limited resources to control or prevent further escalation.
“some notable issues currently faced in the country due to insufficient manpower include delayed response time to emergencies and crimes, limited police presence in rural and remote areas where there is a higherpopulation, officers overburdened with workload, ineffective crime prevention and investigation and increased civil unrest and lack of
confidence in police force.
“Violence and other forms of violence are not limited to a certain region in PNG but is hitting the entire country. Unfortunately, in these crises, it is evident that the local police forces and PNG Defense force (PNGDF) were outnumbered, with limited resources to control prevent further escalation,”
he said.