POLICE MEDIA
APRIL 22 2022
Preparations are underway to commence pre-election operations to ensure a free, fair and safe 2022 National General Election in the province of Gulf, says Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Chief Inspector Jeffrey Lemb.
Lemb said the Gulf pre-election operation campaign kicked off next week and would continue until the issue of writs and polling. He said police in Gulf would be educating voters on election-related offences and the electoral process whilst maintaining their normal law and order policing operations in the province.
“We have 50 regular policemen on the ground. The 150 reservists and the community-based constables all across the Gulf province would boost our manpower strength up to 300. The Gulf province has two districts which are Kikori and Kerema. In Kerema, we have Kerema Central and Malalaua, so we will be dividing our operations into two zones,” Lemb said.
The PPC said he had advised both Kerema and Kikori Police Station Commanders (PSCs) to do their mini operation orders to cover awareness in their respective districts.
Lemb, however, said that he needed funding for the pre-election campaign. He said Gulf police needed logistical support because they would be going out to the villages to conduct awareness. However, he said with or without funds, the Police in Gulf would still conduct the awareness campaigns and pre-election security operations.
“We will try and cover as many villages as possible. We have two vehicles given by Police Commissioner David Manning so these would help us in our pre-election operation campaign,” Lemb said, adding that the Commissioner had also assured him that the Gulf Provincial Police command would be given one or two more vehicles. The two vehicles were purchased from what the constabulary had invested in the Kina-for-Kina programme initiated by Commissioner Manning.
Lemb said the Gulf Provincial Government was yet to be part of the programme. He said if the provincial government became part of the programme,, they would arrange for dinghies to be purchased under similar arrangements. He said Gulf was a maritime province and the need for dinghies was just as important as vehicles on land, as most villages from coastal areas were easily accessible by dinghies