BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
POLICE Commissioner Mathew Varley is proud of the performance and progress of the re-armament programme as it turned a year-old on May 8.
Mr Varley said May 8 actually marks the first anniversary of the police rearmament programme of the RSIPF before the end of RAMSI where a ceremony of 125 officers of RSIPF was held at the Rove Police Headquarter.
“This week is the anniversary of the Police re-armament and we thought we could give a good outcome and brief update and it is important for the community is aware of the work and the scrutiny that goes on behind the scene of the how the rearmament of our police force is properly managed understand that our officers are properly over the past 12 months.
“Obviously you aware the rearmament occurred including the development of the new National Response Department NRD complex at Rove including the armoury itself and the security systems that are in placed,” said Varley.
He said police always guarantees proper inspection and auditing of the weapons used and it is done monthly and quarterly and this is part of checking the record.
“We are pleased to say that all of our audits that have been conducted we have 100 percent compliance with the audits and so nothing has gone missing and that is a good taste of how the system and compliance are being checked,” Varley said.
He said all throughout the year the officers have done continuous training to qualify them to be armed.
Varley also said that the officers have increasing recognition by other police forces around the region for the expertise in weapons training and just recently RSIPF instructor officers have been to Samoa for five weeks to do weapons training for their instructors and now the RSIPF is looking at doing the same training to some of the officers in PNG.
“So overall the RSIPF rearmament have been going very well and we have had a lot of success and lot of increase in our security.
“And off course quite happy because we have done pretty well for the community,” Varley said.
He also said over the 12 months there has been no increase on the number as that is the only establishment on the PRT.
