Police call for unit to deal with armed robberies

National

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
EAST Sepik needs a police highway patrol unit to deal with armed hold-ups along its highway, says police commander Robert Gesa.
He was commenting on a recent armed hold-up along the Sepik Highway at the border of Maprik and Yangoru.
It resulted in the death of a bus driver.
He said the road was one of the biggest highways in the country and needed a police patrol unit.
“Right now with the limited manpower and shortage in logistics and mobility, police could not keep regular patrols along the highway to maintain security,” Gesa said.
He said technological advancement in communication systems such as mobile phones was assisting criminals.
Gesa said the highway connected East Sepik and West Sepik and criminals hid in remote villages. “We have police officers on the ground in all sub-stations in the districts from Wewak to Aitape but the problem is that they are not enough,” he said.
“We have limited mobility resources like vehicles.”
Gesa said some stations in the province had a vehicle while others had none.
“These made it difficult for our men to patrol the highway as they could not keep a regular presence because they will have to respond to crimes happening in their communities as well,” he said.