Parkop assures residents of city rangers conduct

By MATTHEW VARI

Wednesday, October 30, 2013 (Midweek Chronicle, PNG)

NCD Governor Powes Parkop assured city residents of the proper conduct of city rangers with a training program being initiated by the city’s authority.

He admitted that they had enforcement problems with the rangers, whom he said a majority of were not trained- but added that the commission had set a target it wanted to reach, which was why they had to use them.

“The assurance I want to give our city residents is that we are setting up a training program that we will train these men.”

“We will also put in place a code of ethics that they will subscribe to and sign, and in conducting their activities if they do not apply their code of ethics they are going to be sacked.”

“Thirdly I will be signing them to become enforcers under the law- they will be gazetted and will have ID cards.”

The governor added that most of them already had ID cards, and that the commission would try to make them professional and distinguished so people can see that they are genuine.

He highlighted that there were some fraudster that may be posing as rangers as well to give them a bad reputation.

“But those are challenges that we have to go about.”

“We are doing all we can to ensure rangers behave appropriately.”

“They are under the command of the enforcement unit, and ultimately under the command of the police,” he added.

He responded to the heavy handed tactics used by rangers on vendors selling Asian products, as a result of rangers not in uniform have observing that the vendors were hiding betel-nuts among their goods to sell, which was why they chased them away.

“Our enforcers are there in uniform of not in uniform (plain clothes), so people better be careful.”

“Because if you are getting away with it today, we will still catch you tomorrow as Port Moresby is not a big city.”