People denounce crime in Mt Hagen

 MT Hagen City is becoming a breeding ground for petty crimes like pick-pocketing, bag-snatching, street fights and threats and little is being done by police and the city authority to ridding the problems, the public say.

They generally fear to travel into the city to shop or attend to businesses these days.

The most dangerous areas are the bus stops leading to Mendi, Ialibu, and Pangia, Tari, Wabag, the main market and shopping centres.

Mark Maip from the neighbouring Moge Akelika clan, raised concern, saying the threat was growing and it was a risk to venture into the city area.

Maip said police should conduct foot patrols and make their presence felt.

He said that should apply to the city authority so that Hagen could become safe.

“People come to do business and attend to their personal needs … it’s a major threat and should be addressed,” he said.

“My village is located next to the Holy Trinity Teachers’College and I’m a landowner of where the city is and such actions of youths are really painting a bad image for us.”

Maip said most offending youths were from settlements.