East New Britain crime rate on the rise

THE crime rate in East New Britain is becoming a concern for the business community, a law and order forum was told this week.
The forum was organised by the ENB Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Senior magistrate and a member of the law and order committee, Samuel Lavutul, said after the 1994 volcanic disaster, crime had decreased according to research conducted in 2010 and 2012.
He said crime was a general activity and current hotspots in the province were the urban centres such as Ulagunan and Takubar in Kokopo and Malaguna in Rabaul.
Lavutul said many blamed the New Britain Highway, which is nearing completion, for bringing criminals into the province from neighbouring West New Britain.
He urged those who attended the forum to be open-minded when dealing with law and order issues.
“This should include proper screening of employees when hiring workers and treatment of workers by their employers,” he said.
“Another factor that contributed to the rise in crime were unplanned settlements.”
It was also agreed that there was a need for collaborative efforts from the community to strategise and come up with programmes involving businesses and residents or urban centres.
The aim of the forum was to address the serious increase in armed hold-ups, vehicle thefts and other violent criminal activities in the province and what appeared to be a more general break down in law and order.
The chamber believes that the promotion of economic growth and a focus on education which led to employment are two areas that can help reduce crime in the long-term.