Street lights discourage crime, says advocate

TWENTY-ONE street lights were installed in seven villages in Namatanai, New Ireland to help prevent vehicle theft and vandalism in the area.
Iola Tamtu, an Australian Awards PNG alumni, said most criminal activities happened at night.
She said the initiative to install street lights in dark areas would help improve security and keep people safe.
“The grant was approved in 2021 and a local team was organised to erect 20 solar lights along ward seven and one was placed at the Australian War Memorial in Kavieng town,” she said.
Tamtu said the idea of installing a light at the memorial area was to express her people’s gratitude to the Australian government.
She said since the installation of the street lights there had been a decrease in the number of harassment and vandalism cases in the area.
“Vehicle owners and pedestrians now feel safer to commute after sunset with less anxiety about the safety of their vehicles and belongings”.
The installation of solar lights last year was aligned with the provincial government’s development goals and their Lighting New Ireland policy. Tamtu’s project promotes sustainable energy sources, cost-effective delivery and an environmentally-friendly infrastructure development solution in the province.