Police note rise in crime at sea

By MARJORIE FINKEO
ALOTAU police’s constant request for the establishment of a water police unit in the province turned into a plea yesterday as criminal activities at sea continued to increase.
Acting police commander Inspector George Bayagau said robberies, sea piracy, criminals using the sea for other crimes, escaping and hiding were making it harder for police who lacked the gear to prevent or counter the crimes.
This, Bayagau said, translated to higher risks for people moving around the area.
“I recommend a water police base to be establish in Alotau and our manpower is very low also,” he said.
“Southern region water police unit must be establish in Alotau to cover Northern, Gulf and even Central and NCD.”
Bayagau said the police unit operating in Alotau was for a short term, travelling from Port Moresby to Alotau to carry out operations.
“With law and order issues increasing, a unit is needed to boost the manpower there currently,” he said.
“We have a statistics plan being done but then we still have fewer officers and only to boost up the plan is to bring in more officers from outside to help us.”
Bayagau said Alotau had the biggest maritime area and half of the population lived outside on the islands.
“We either solve the problem or let it continue, by criminals terrorising the lives of our people,” he said.
He said they currently had water police officers who went to sea for operations but that was not enough.
“Police have only two banana boats, one with a 60-horsepower engine and the other with a 85-horsepower engine,” he said.
“We need some bigger boats that are much faster so police can attend quickly to criminals because of the mass of sea and distances we have.”