Telco blackout hinders police

By FRANK RAI
POLICE operations in Lae have been stymied by a communications handicap.
The telecommunications blackout had now stretched into its third month.
And its adverse ramification is that armed robberies have increased, because police cannot be informed on time.
Police cited an incident last Thursday where a group of armed youths held up a family in their home at Douset flats around 10am and walked off with K2,000 worth of household items including a washing machine, TV set and clothing at Salamanda Street.
Police who attended to the case said later that the wife tried to call the police station but could not get through and rang her husband at work, who drove to the Market police station and asked for assistance.
“We (police) were later briefed on the two-way radio on the car – this was some 30 minutes later and when we arrived at the scene, these youths were gone,” a policeman said.
It was understood that the telecommunications system at the Lae (Top-Town) Police station had been cut off due to technical problems with the switch board.
Police personnel at the station are frustrated with having to use their personal cell phones to trace suspects and attend to cases.
“At the moment we are relying on the two way radio on police vehicles – but it is also not reliable because our main communication system operates on power and when the power is out – we do not know what is going on,” another police said.
Metropolitan Supt Nema Mondiai was unavailable for comment and attempts to speak to Telikom staff were passed from one office to another without success.