New rules to modernise PNG police

Papua New Guinea's new police commissioner is taking a zero tolerance approach to his officers being involved in violent attacks, whether they are accidental or not.

Gari Baki, PNG's sixth commissioner in nine years, has issued an ambitious plan to upgrade PNG's decrepit police force - from cleaning up ill-discipline to restructuring the organisation and increasing numbers.

But top of the list is police brutality.

"I will maintain a strict zero tolerance level on police brutality and extrajudicial killings by police, whether accidental or otherwise," Mr Baki said in a statement.

"Shape up, change your attitudes, improve your work ethic, be disciplined, improve your performance and work output, or get ready to be booted out."

Threatening to sack half the country's 6000-strong police force for abuse and corruption if necessary, Mr Baki said the burden of proof will now fall on officers accused of poor behaviour or failing to take necessary and appropriate action in police matters.

"Policemen and women will be charged forthwith, and they will have to provide statements, witnesses and evidence clearing them of any misconduct, abuse or corruption," he said.

He also pledged to beef up the internal affairs division.

A restructure calls for new command centres to be set up to cover many of PNG's 21 provinces, and the commissioner will seek government support to build three "mega-police stations" for the capital, Port Moresby, with bigger holding cells and better resources.

The PNG government wants 10,000 police officers by 2018, which is when it hopes to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation leaders' summit. It is a goal Mr Baki says is not achievable under current conditions.

But he says decentralising recruitment and setting up regional training schools in the Highlands, New Guinea Islands and the northern Momase region is the answer.

There has been outrage in PNG in recent years over the actions of police, including delays in investigating the alleged shooting deaths this year of two men by officers in the coastal Port Moresby village of Hanuabada.

In May 2013, a judge, Justice David Cannings, launched a human rights inquiry into reports police used machetes to slash the ankles of more than 70 men in Port Moresby following a large brawl.