Building a safer, secure society for all

 THE Government’s plan to spend K1.6 billion on law and order, including about half of that amount coming from donor sources, indicates how serious it is to improve the sector.

That will require everyone to back the government to ensure security and prosperity for all. 

The coming few years are crucial, not only for the country’s internal security but our international reputation and ability to host the up-coming Pacific Games in 2015 and the APEC leaders in 2018 will be put to a crucial test.

It is fitting that the Government has allocated the levels of funding to the police, defence and correctional services departments.

According to the budget handed down by Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch on Tuesday, the police department is allocated K346.2 million and defence will receive K261.2 million.

Provision is made for recruitment by the three disciplined forces to beef up their manpower in preparation for international events and strengthen national security. The Papua New Guinea Defence Force will re­cruit 480 soldiers, an ex­tra 750 policemen and women will be added to the constabulary and 200 more correctional officers will join the service.

This is something that has not been done before, that is,  all three disciplined forces recruiting large numbers together.

The Government has plans for increasing the number of judges so there are more court circuits to provincial and district centres.

Another important step in improving the sector through the 2015 Budget is to make provisions for an increase in the number of officials from seven to 11 per village court. 

Village courts have been very active and successfully main­taining justice in their communities and the decision by government to not only increase the monthly allowances of serving officials but employ an additional four to each court area is again indicative of a government that values the role of these community level courts.

The O’Neill Government’s commitment to the law and order sector in this “family-oriented” budget is clear, however it requires much more than just millions of kina in yearly allocations to the law and order sector to make the dream for a safe, secure and prosperous PNG for all to materialise. 

It requires every citizen to do their bit in respecting and living by the law.  

The spate of violent criminal activity in Port Moresby and around the country is worrying because a few a­m­ong us do not have any regard for the law as well as the sanctity of human life. 

Unfortunately it may suggest an absence of proactive measures by government.  However, this should not be the case given the government’s commitment to the law and order sector. Just last week, one more violent criminal act has again forced the closure of one of Port Moresby’s biggest and busiest markets at the Gordon suburb.

The market has been the subject of public discussion for some time now. And each time Gordon’s market gets into the media limelight it is always because of the wrong reasons; a woman is indecently assaulted; a man is killed; a child goes missing or an all-out brawl forces vendors and buyers to flee.

Last week saw another brutal murder and this time of a young policeman with a long and promising career ahead of him. His life and his family’s pride have been cut short by a murder weapon in the hands of a drunk. Following the killing Cabinet Minister Richard Ma­ru called for the permanent closure of Gordon’s market. Maru, the Yangoru-Sausia  MP where the slain young policeman was from, has called for the implementation of death penalty. 

In its efforts to improve law and order in the country, the government is determined to implement the death penalty, legislation for which has already been passed. 

However its faces stiff re­proach from sections of the community as well as international organisations based on research that the death penalty is not going to deter crime as its proponents expect. Opposition is coming from human rights and religious organisations.

There is no doubting the commitment by this govern­ment to the law and order sector. It therefore needs the backing from all sectors of the community to achieve our dreams of a secure society for all.