23 Jan 2020

Life as a policeman in PNG's most remote district

From , 6:02 am on 23 January 2020

Sometimes you don't eat meals for days, sometimes you walk for weeks - simply in order to do your work.

You're going to remote villages to deal with alcohol and marijuana-related problems, theft and the odd issue over refugees from across the nearby border with Indonesia.

That's part of the job as a policeman in one of Papua New Guinea's remotest districts, Telefomin, in West Sepik.

But Terry Dap, the acting police station commander in Telefomin, says most people in the district are law abiding.

He's been policing there for 20 years, and told Johnny Blades that accessibility is his biggest challenge, with no roads in the district and few telecommunications.

Papua New Guinea police

Papua New Guinea police Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades