Hagen resident wants police mobile unit back

By JACOB POK 
LAW and order problems have escalated in the streets of Mt Hagen in Western Highlands since the Hagen-based police mobile units were deployed to Port Moresby early this month, says a community leader.
Robin Kaupa, a local leader in the Tarangau area, said consumption of home-brew and drugs were on the rise and in-fighting among youths were a major concern to many  decent  citizens and elites who reside near settlements in the city.
“Mindless youths who are intoxicated with illegal drugs and home-brewed alcohol have no respect for many working elites and public servants like doctors, nurses, teachers and decent citizens living near settlements in Mt Hagen,” Kaupa said.
He said the illegal activities had increased since Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga deployed the Hagen-based mobile squad units to Port Moresby last month. He said there was no police presence in the province to control law and order issues.
“I would like to call on Police Commissioner Kulunga to consider the law and order   problems we are facing here and send back our mobile units to control the problems in the province,” he said, adding that Kulunga should also consider the law and  order issues in other provinces and not Port Moresby alone.
 He said the population in Western Highlands had increased at an alarming rate and    there    was need for police to be present to monitor any unusual activities that occur in the city.
“Consumption of home-brew beer and drugs is becoming  a normal activity in the city  and   I urged the law enforcing bodies to get touch on youths who are involved in such activities  as this would only spoil the image of the city  and instill fear in people’s  lives,” he said.  
He said  many women and children feel unsafe to moved around freely in the city in fear of drug addicts and criminals  who move around with knifes snatching bags and wallets of people, especially near bus stops, banks and pathways along shops in the city.   
 “We need  law enforcing bodies to get touch and act quickly to contain such illegal activities before they get out of hand,” Kaupa said.