Manus crime rate rising, Yapu says

MANUS police commander Chief Inspector David Yapu says the crime rate in the province is gradually increasing and they are doing their best to address it.
He said the two most common offences reported were homebrew and drug production, consumption and transportation.
Police dealt with 155 cases last year.
“Other major crimes are sexual offences such as abuse of under-aged girls and rape referred to the Family and Sexual Violence Unit,” Yapu said.
“Drug-related cases have increased due to the buai trade between the people of Manus and Vanimo, Wewak, Madang and Kavieng.”
Yapu said people smuggled drugs into the province while involved in the betel nut trade.
“Community policing in Manus is very effective because there is a provincial committee policing officer and his officers who go around the 131 wards in the 12 local-level governments to conduct police awareness and educate people,” he said.
He said they also had more than 500 refugees in the province who were part of the community.
“The same law applies to them,” Yapu said.
Yapu said the refugees had been relocated from the old commission centre in Lombrum Naval Base to two new camps in Lorengau.