Kerowagi folks ask police to act

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
THE Kunabau people have branded police in Kerowagi, Chimbu, as being “allowance-driven”.
The Kunabau people are now questioning the role of the police force, especially the community safety division and its community policing programme.
Community leader Otto Vitus said the police force in the district was “too weak to maintain order”.
Vitus said this during a homebrew surrender programme at Diugl village on Sunday where the Baimanekane clansmen came out publicly  vowing to stop the drinking and production of homebrew.
The villagers surrendered five gas cylinders used in the production of homebrew and stopped other people from selling or drinking homebrew in their area – from Teine Creek to Kaukau market.
Vitus said the Kerowagi police had a community policing vehicle but never used it for community policing work to eradicate homebrew and marijuana in the district.
He claimed the policemen used that vehicle for mediation purposes because they were normally “paid pocket allowances”.
He commended correctional officers from Barawaghi jail for taking over the role of police to arrest people drinking homebrew, smoking marijuana and causing law and order problems along the Mingende section of the Highlands Highway.
Vitus commended correctional officer Sgt Maima Kawage for taking a leading role to organise his people and impose a homebrew ban in his area as their New Year’s resolution.
He said the people were now questioning the role of the police force in the district.
Chimbu branch president of the Women In-Politics Dere Cecilia expressed the same sentiments saying the police must wake up and act to support the efforts.
Cecilia said Kerowagi general duty and community policing officers needed to wake up.
 and perform their duties.
She said many times police told community leaders to maintain order within their community but when they needed help, police did not offered any help.
She said the drinking of homebrew and smoking of marijuana contributed greatly to social problems in Kunabau area and they needed help from the police to combat that.
Cecilia said women and young girls always lived in fear.
She commended the Baimanekane clansmen for coming out publicly and stopping the production and drinking of homebrew in their area.
She challenged other neighbouring tribes to do the same for the good of their community.