Guards pull out of petty crime spots in Lae

 SECURITY at petty crime hotspots in Lae, Morobe, has been affected after the Menyamya Morobe Security Services (MMSS) withdrew their services last Thursday.

The MMSS management pulled off more than 60 security guards at Eriku, Main Market and Top Town bus stops in protest over the shooting of their operations manager Steven Simeon last Wednesday at Bumayong, allegedly by an armed gang.

“We are withdrawing all our men from the Eriku, Main Market and Town bus stops until such time  when suspects in the killing of Simeon were caught and handed over to police,” MMSS chairman Petrus Patrick said.

“MMSS has done a lot in reducing petty crimes in the city but some people have no appreciation for what we have done for them by killing our operations manager,” Patrick said.

He urged the public in Lae to take precaution when walking around these places, saying their safety was not guaranteed.

He said his guards would only return to duty after all the suspects in the killing were caught and faced the full force of the law, including being sent to prison.

Lae metropolitan commander Supt Iven Lakatani said last Friday the withdrawal of the MMSS guards at the locations was not a concern.

“I don’t see it as a concern as we’ve got police personnel patrolling these locations,” Lakatani said. 

He said police would counter the situation and monitor the events at the Bumayong settlement where the shooting occurred.

MMSS were hired last year by the Lae City Council to combat the rise in petty crimes and harassment of commuters at the main bus stops.