Law, order everyone’s business: Bundy

By Elizabeth Vuvu
THE East New Britain chamber of commerce and police held a meeting yesterday to come up with strategies to address crime.
President David Stein said the meeting would offer some solutions to the current trend of crimes.
The meeting tabled suggestions such as establishing a police hotline, neighbourhood watch, an immediate full-scale operation, introduction of night patrols and vehicle patrols, an investigation to find out who was purchasing stolen goods, addressing illegal settlements, boom gates on New Britain Highway and police to fight real crime, not petty offences.
Minister for Public Service and Pomio MP Elias Kapavore commended the initiative, saying that lack of funding was an issue that contributed to lawlessness.
“We need proper documentations of issues,” Kapavore said.
“Lack of proper information by authorities result in funding least priority areas or abuse of funds and this must change.
“We need a whole community approach, including churches, youths, women, business houses, school programmes for aggressive campaigns to address the law and order situation in East New Britain.
“We cannot be silent any more. Our safety and wellbeing must be guaranteed.”
Senior Inspector Gabriel Bundy appealed to community leaders to do their part to help police. He said police would try to seize the crime increase.
Bundy urged community leaders to provide information of suspects who were living among them in communities.
He said police manpower was below their normal capacity and they could not be everywhere.
Bundy said community leaders knew their communities and people better than police, and so urged them to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to ensure their communities were safe.
He said he did not know why people with information were not coming forth, but felt that maybe they were afraid or were benefiting from crimes.
Bundy said there was an increase in armed robberies, break and enter and stealing incidents in the province over the past month targeting both ordinary people and service-oriented institutions, besides shops and businesses.