PPC: Illegal settlements adding to problems in Madang

By JAYNE SAFIHAO
ILLEGAL settlements springing up in Madang are adding to the many problems faced by police, provincial police commander Anthony Wagambie Jr said.
Police have also noticed an increase in petty crimes in the province.
Officers from the rapid response unit who went on a foot patrol in areas along the South Coast to Erima Road were shocked to learn that people from all walks of life were comfortably living in accommodation they rented from locals.
A random survey in the community found that most of the settlers were from Lae and parts of the highlands.
They had settled there after the uprising in Lae where Morobeans chased the Sepiks out. More recently, the Morobeans chased out the highlanders over street-vending activities.
Snr Const Daniel Kapen, head of the police response unit, said they were concerned about the rate these illegal settlements were springing up in Madang.
The city is now flooded with new faces and crime was certainly on the rise, he said.
Kapen found out from one of the squatters that the settlers had fled from Lae and were renting the cardboard-built houses for K50 a fortnight.
The town has also noticed an increase in motor vehicles during the morning and afternoon rush hours.
Street vendors are again selling banned items such as betelnut.
The only sheltered bus stop in town had its roof torn down last Friday night by the Madang urban local level government officials.
Town manager Titus Futrepa said this was to stop the sale of betelnuts at the bus stop area.
A warning letter has also been issued to certain business houses aiding the sale of illegal contraband items such as flash drives and boom boxes.
Shop fronts are often crowded by loiterers who picked the pockets of shoppers.
“It is these people who are polluting the town with their unhygienic practices and you just need to look around to see who is currently dominating the town, sleeping at the beach and even the Kalibobo Lighthouse front,” said Wagambie.
Police will increase foot patrols in the settlement areas while the community leaders will help identify illegal settlers, he said.