Police boost for Finschhafen

TEN police officers from Lae have been deployed to the hinterlands of Finschhafen to deal with escalating law-and-order problems.
Morobe provincial police commander Supt Augustine Wampe told The National yesterday that eight Mobile Squad 15 members and two detectives had been sent to Pindiu to attend to the issue.
Wampe said Finschhafen MP Renbo Paita and the district development authority had made an urgent request to his office for help to address the situation there.
“Since the election and even last year, there have been law-and-order issues such as sorcery related killings, killing people over land, destruction of government properties and ethnic clashes,” he said.
“The district has requested us to send policemen to assist their counterparts in Finschafen to deal with the increasing law-and-order problems.
“They (police) will not only go to Pindiu but move to other parts of Finschhafen if the need arises.”
Wampe said the officers would investigate killings, destructions to properties and fighting, and arrest the perpetrators.
“They will be staying there for an indefinite period,” Wampe said.
“Their trip has been funded by the district.”
Wampe said since the burning down of the new K1 million Gagidu Police Station, morale of the seven policemen in Finschafen was at an all-time low, so reinforcements from Lae would boost their performances.
Wampe said Pindiu did not have a police station so the 10 officers would camp there until peace and normalcy was restored.
Wampe called on the locals to assist police in their investigations.