Police station ‘falling apart’

By JIMMY KALEBE
SEWAGE blockage and broken downpipes at Lae’s main market police station are affecting police performance, station commander Senior Sergeant Andrew Wibom says.
There are rotting structures with broken glass louvres, locks not working and doors almost falling off the hinges, he said.
Wibom said discussions held with former and current market coordinators and other officials to try to have the problems fixed had failed.
The Lae market police station is under the care of the market management through the Lae City Authority.
“One area that I am concerned with is the toilet which is rundown, with blocked sewerage and broken pipes,” Wibom said.
He said police cannot use the toilet as flushing ran off and ended up where women were selling produce.
“This is very unhygienic and everyday mothers complain of the foul smell and toilet water reaching them in the main market area,” Wibom said.
He said police personnel had to take PMVs home to use the toilet.
Many market users feel safe when doing their businesses there in the presence of the police station.
City authority commerce manager Jeffery Biayaha told The National that funding would be made available to address the issue.
Work, he said, would start immediately.