Law and order problem

THE Government considers law and order as a priority and adequately funds the operations of the Police Department every year.
Funding is intended to ensure that policemen and women carry out their law and order enforcement duties diligently every day of the year.
Papua New Guinea and its inhabitants are now faced with escalating law and order problems that have permanently gripped the nation.
Police and their children have turned to criminal activities to make money for themselves, using family ties and uniforms and guns as shields (or protection).
This is uncalled for, as policemen and women are supposed to uphold the rule of law and perform their duties diligently.
It has been observed that during non-pay weeks, some policemen go out and look for public motor vehicles (PMVs) that are on undesignated routes, unsuspecting taxi drivers for trivial traffic infringements, or setup unauthorised road blocks.
They then force the PMV and Taxi drivers and other drivers to pay them on-the-spot fines, which they keep as day’s takings for personal use.
I was shocked to see fully armed policemen come on board the bus I was travelling in on April 3 which was during a non-pay week, as we arrived at the Waigani-Tokarara junction using the June Valley-Port Moresby road via Hanuabada.
They took the day’s takings.
Port Moresby residents are who are conscious of criminal activities in certain hotspots of the city take the safest bus to their destinations, irrespective of whether or not the designated route has been authorised by the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) or the Transport Department.
A hotline must be setup throughout PNG for the public to dial in and report criminal activities committed by police and other civilians.
For Port Moresby, NCDC and transport Department must now declare more PMV and taxi routes to prevent police using unauthorised routes as an excuse to conduct their criminal activities.

Concerned Tax Payer – POM