Law and order collapse feared

By MALUM NALU in Tari
POLICE in Hela fear a total collapse in law and order, with only fewer than 20 officers in the province to deal with criminals taking advantage of the situation caused by the earthquake.
Acting provincial police commander Martin Lakari and Governor Philip Undialu issued the warning on Saturday after the killing of a councillor in Tari town on Friday, and a series of armed hold-ups around the province.
Lakari said the councillor was shot dead at about 2pm on Friday at Tari market where people were gambling. The situation remained tense at the weekend.
“We tried to apprehend the suspects but it was very difficult because people were not cooperative,” Lakari told The National in Tari.
He ordered a “clean-up” of Tari town from yesterday.
“I will source all available manpower I have to make sure that Tari Town is clean in terms of removing high-low (gambling) machines, removing street vendors such as cigarette and betel-nut sellers.
“I have a manpower of less than 20, both regulars and reservists, which is inadequate in terms of the population of Hela.
“We need to beef up our manpower to combat the law and order situation in the province.”
Lakari said tribes were still fighting each other despite the earthquake.
“The overall law and order situation in the province is a bit out of hand,” he said.
“There are displaced people always out on the road to get something from travellers. They set up roadblocks to conduct armed robberies and all that. Police in Hela are handicapped.”