A team of security personnel for the upcoming 2022 National General Elections in Milne Bay have arrived in the province last weekend and are currently undergoing orientation exercises to get familiar with the locality.
Provincial Police Commander Superintendent Peter Barkie said the team is also part of the police reinforcement replacement for the team that was in the province for almost a year in the operation to curb the rising law and order issues that arose in the province in recent years.
Superintendent Barkie said the Port Moresby based police mobile squad is part of the advance members of the security forces being deployed into selective provinces and districts to provide security for the 2022 National General Election.
“This mobile squad from Port Moresby will be based in the province and will assist our local police in the pre-election operation targeting hotspot areas to secure the province and make it ready for the polling,” Mr Barkie said.
“I expect our counterpart personnel for the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and the Correctional Service to arrive in the province by the end of this month to assist in the polling and the counting periods.”
The PPC also said that he will be utilising Police Reservists in the province to beef up its manpower for deployment.