Allow sale of pepper sprays

Letters

THIS is a suggestion to the relevant authorities to allow the sale of pepper sprays in regulated supermarkets and retail outlets.
With the huge number of crimes reported daily in our urban centres, particularly Port Moresby, and against vulnerable women and girls, this tool would help them defend themselves against potential attackers and bag snatchers in the streets.
Women and girls are now becoming more vulnerable to knife-wielding thugs who congregate in numbers with various concealed weapons.
Defending oneself against a band of thugs with a pepper spray compared to a knife is more effective since a pepper spray can take out five thugs in one go compared to the latter.
Almost every day, women and girls are held up at the side of the Eda Ranu building when walking to the makeshift bus stop at Unagi Oval in Gordon, Port Moresby.
The police won’t be there every day, so there should be some leeway for citizens to fight back against thugs without any deaths or bodily injuries.
People should be allowed to defend themselves, especially when there are not enough police personnel.

Anonymous,
Pom