Increase police presence in country

HUMANS are the dominant species of all life forms since the beginning of time.
They consider three important things when considering moving into new environments.
Safety is of utmost importance.
The environment has to be stable and free of threats.
Another factor is the availability of services and resources.
Humans prefer the ability to acquire resources with convenience.
The third factor is a community’s resilience in facing challenges.
I find that these factors are evident in urban areas and not in our rural communities.
We have seen an increase in crime in our villages, even with the decline in service delivery.
In Gerehu, Port Moresby, where I live, car theft and petty crimes are common.
People get held up at gun-point almost every day in their houses and cars.
Others are robbed of other belongings.
Sometimes, they are injured or even killed.
These crimes have been occurring for so long that society has begun to accept them.
The Gordon bus stop and the area around the market are a crime-infested areas.
Most people who pass by these areas are harassed and robbed.
In other suburbs such as Morata, Sabama, Koki, Erima, 9-Mile and 2-Mile, we have violence and killings.
And it is becoming clearer every day that almost all Government hospitals in the nation’s capital and possibly elsewhere in the country are understaffed and under-resourced.
The safety of the 1.3 million Port Moresby is at risk, especially with the increase in Covid-19 cases.
Malnutrition and lifestyle diseases such as diabetes remain a challenge for the health.
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria remain high on the list of the diseases affecting the nation and the workforce of the country while there is an increase in the number of depression and mental illness cases.
Alcohol and drug abuse are also on the rise.
Water supply, sanitation, proper hygiene and electricity services in the nation’s capital benefit only residents in prime locations.
Residents in settlements are left to fend for themselves.
Some of our professionals reside in settlements because they cannot afford housing in prime residential areas.
Housing still remains a challenge for our workers.
The Government and the National Housing Corporation had done very little to address housing needs.
It is apparent that Papua New Guinea’s main problem is the lack of adequate funding.
The country relies heavily on foreign aid despite the capability of supporting itself through resources such as oil, gas, gold, fisheries and agricultural products.
We also need highly skilled, educated, experienced, trustworthy, loyal and committed managers in each of our Government departments.
PNG also has a problem with logistics.
The failure in addressing these issues has driven people to fend for themselves and in doing so, they sometimes break the law.
The Government is also challenged with catering for the influx of people migrating from rural areas into our towns and cities.
With many issues putting the lives of people at risk, the Government should boost the police force.
We should have more police officers in our rural areas and in towns and cities.

Safety First