Banning alcohol is not the answer

 IT took two horrific incidents of murder and rape to finally dawn on the police and National Capital District authorities and that the nation’s capital had been besieged by criminals and outlaws.

The killing of a policeman at 9-Mile early this month and the raping of two female employees of the National Broadcasting Commission at Morata last week was the final straw as the authorities moved decisively to curb the rising crime rate in the NCD.

An alcohol ban was imposed on Friday at the no­to­rious Morata, 8-Mile and 9-Mile areas, which involved the withdrawal of licences for five authorised outlets by the NCD liquor licensing committee.

Police began enforcing the ban at the weekend through regular patrols in these trouble spots to clamp down on bootlegging.

Seemingly, the NCD liquor licensing committee had been trying for a long time to clamp down on drunkenness and other alcohol-related abuse without success until now. 

With a big help from the police, they will be able to push ahead in their efforts to control the sale and consumption of alcohol, especially in the troublesome suburbs and settlements.

While it is a big relief for law-abiding residents to know that there will be fewer drunks roaming the back streets, police and the NCD authorities should not be quick to blame alcohol solely for the city’s rising crime rate and social woes.

Rather, they should be mindful of other pertinent issues that cause or contribute to the way people think and behave outside the law.

It is not known or proven whether the suspect or suspects involved in the killing of the policeman and the gangsters who raped the two women were under the influence of alcohol at the time of committing the offences. Criminals such as murderers and rapists do not need to be intoxicated by alcohol and drugs to commit these horrific crimes. Their evil minds more or less control their behaviour and actions. 

In a melting pot like Port Moresby, which is host to the country’s diverse ethnic groupings, law and order is one of the most critical issues for government and city authorities. Suburbs such as Morata, 8-Mile and 9-Mile are breeding grounds for all sorts of criminals. 

The youth of these notorious suburbs and settlements dwell in an environment that is conducive to crime and lawlessness. 

Crime is intoxicating for many of them and, like a drug, it becomes an escape route for their miserable existence.

Despite its good intentions, the current campaign against lawlessness in the capital city is only a band-aid treatment for what is actually a serious ailment.

While there are no quick-fix solutions, there are potential remedies that government and city authorities can consider in alleviating these problematic conditions, and gain a greater control over the suburbs and settlements. 

For example, modifications can be made to infrastructure, such as wider streets and better lighting, as well as clearly defining which parts of the suburb the police would cover, and which the community would police itself. 

Through such process, the community can cut down its crime rates, and promote greater stability. 

Measures such as upgrades to urban infrastructure offer a path for city hall to build trust with citizens and increase the governance of these communities.

There is a particular concept that our government and city authorities should seriously consider in making our cities and towns safer.

The “Safer Cities” concept was introduced in African countries in the mid- 1990s and followed a structured process designed to nurture local crime prevention capacities.

These included a rigorous assessment of the crime situation through a local safety appraisal based on institutional, informal and social research data.

The appraisal seeks to identify, assess and give priority to safety problems and policies. It includes scientific data gathering approaches such as victimisation surveys, women’s safety audits and youth offender profiles.

There is a myriad of ideas on addressing the causes of urban crime and lawlessness and related issues such as urban drift, unemployment and poverty. 

However, the ability to enact the ideas remains mired in bureaucracy, funding and governance issues.