BY BENNY GETTING
THE new Malahang police station in Lae was opened yesterday in the presence of Police Minister Jelta Wong, Police Commissioner Gari Baki, Lae MP John Rosso and other dignitaries.
The police station, built at a cost of K500,000, was funded with K400,000 from International Container Terminal Services Limited (ICTSI) and K100,000 from Lae City Authority under the public-private partnership program.
Mr Wong while thanking the company for its persistent efforts to build the new police station since 2011, said Malahang is a strategic place for the station to be built to serve the people there.
“Malahang accommodates very big investments and even hosts Ahi villages and the station will serve its purpose to strengthen policing efforts within the area,” he said.
He thanked the landowners and the company for their efforts to finally complete the station.
The station holds a cell block, interview rooms for police personnel and will be manned by 14 police personnel that will be deployed under the command of the Lae metropolitan command.
Mr Rosso said a new Toyota Land Cruiser trooper vehicle was presented to the new station to carry out policing operations at Malahang.
The vehicle was funded under the district services improvement program funds for Lae district in 2018 and is the initiative of Lae City Authority.
“I would like to further thank the assistance of Australian Federal Police that will provide new sets of computers that will be installed in the station to be used by the police officers attached there,” he said.
Mr Baki said the final process of signing a memorandum of understanding will be undertaken soon to allow the police station to be operational.