The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is providing advisory assistance to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary’s (RPNGC) security efforts for the upcoming Pacific Games in Port Moresby, they say.
A spokesperson from the AFP told NITV that through the Papua New Guinea–Australia Policing Partnership Australian officers would be embedded in the Major Events, Planning and Security Unit of the RPNGC for the event.
“The AFP has provided two PNG-APP [Papua New Guinea–Australia Policing Partnership] advisors to coach and mentor the RPNGC in managing large scale complex events, including the Pacific Games in July 2015.
“During the event, AFP officers will, in an advisory capacity, accompany RPNGC officers conducting high-visibility policing at games venues.”
The AFP officers do not have executive policing powers.
According to an ABC News report, two surveillance balloons supplied by Israel will monitor activity: "They are like the eyes in the air and it gives us real time [surveillance] on every incident that happens within the games venues," PNG police commissioner Gari Baki was quoted as saying in the report.
"We, the constabulary, stand ready to give that assurance for the people of Papua New Guinea and our visitors that the games will be safe."
The Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) will also be working with the police to provide security through Operation Pacific Wantok.
Papua New Guinea spends US$766 million per annum on preventing and dealing with the consequences of violence, according to the 2015 Global Peace Index, which ranked the country 96 out of 162, with 162 being the least peaceful country.
The Pacific Games will run between 4 and 16 July.
NITV is the official Australian broadcaster of the Pacific Games. Channel 34 (free to air) and Channel 144 (Foxtel).
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