“ WHEN you educate a woman, you educate a society”, so much is true for that quote, when I met and came to know Senior Constable Ursula Beri Kuna, Police Station Commander, Tent City Lae Metropolitan Command.

 She is one of the very hardworking and top police women who drives change communities in which she looks after with ease and aims to always keep the communities crime free and peaceful.

 Fifty-one year old Ursula hails from Urip village Boikin- Dagua, East Sepik and the last daughter of Herman Beri a late former Council President Wewak local government. She joined Royal Papua New Guinea Police Constabulary (RPNGC) at the age of 19 and after 31 years she is still one of the active policewomen in Lae.

She was awarded the Top Pronto (Radio Operator) in Lae in 2015. A mother of four and a grandmother to two, she is able to balance her roles at home and as the Officer in Charge of the second largest Police Station in Lae Metro command.

“Being a woman and in charge poses many challenges, as male colleagues are working under me and also I had to risk going to communities that have high records of criminal activities to do awareness. I need to have courage and set standards in order to be in charge and change the communities I look after,” Senior Constable Ursula said.

She looks after communities starting from Situm Wara all the way down to Igam and East Taraka. These communities are parts of three districts of Morobe Province; Lae Urban, Huon Gulf and Nawaeb Districts. In charge of a big area like this, is not that easy but for Senior Constable Ursula, she is able to always keep her communities at bay and away criminal activities using her motherhood’s tenderness and wisdom of a woman leader.

“Sometimes it’s hard but I won’t give up I will push forward until I reach the goals I set.”

Most of her male colleagues respect and praise her as their officer in charge because she has demonstrates high level of work ethics.

“RPNGC recruits many women not only to be police women but to excel, be leaders and be role models to younger women folks of Papua New Guinea,” this strong police woman said.

Many refer to Ursula as Yamo (mama in Dagua Tok ples) and for sure she is a Papua New Guinean mother and a leader who helps contribute to keeps PNG forward.

She is looking forward to receive her sergeant rank in the coming Police gazette and she is aiming to get to Inspector Post in the next couple of years.

“If I can do my best to look after many communities and get head on with the challenges that comes my way and my profession, I would encourage other mothers, women and young girls that with God everything is always possible and you can do the same.”

She is a role model, a community leader, a police officer, a mother and a grandmother, here comes Ursula Beri Kuna the voice that stops crime and maintains peace.

By Penelope Aimari