Street vending, petty crimes up

STREET vending is increasing gradually in Lae’s Top Town and main market areas, accompanied by petty crimes, Lae Metropolitan Chief Supt Anthony Wagambie Jr says.
The situation is being jointly addressed by Lae police and Lae MP John Rosso.
“The main reason for this is that new illegal squatter settlements are popping up around the city. I had made a call for the removal of these new illegal squatter settlements last year,” Wagambie said.
He said a working committee was set up to look into it.
“I will push for the committee to be activated as the bulk of the street vendors and petty criminals originate from these illegal settlers,” he said.
Wagambie said the only thing that police needed now was support from the government department to work with police and address those problems. “If those illegal settlements still exist, people from different areas will still come in,” he said.
“Some may have no formal employment or means of earning an honest living.
“They will resort to street vending as a means of earning a living and that contributes to more petty crimes in the city.”
According to the metropolitan superintendent, the Lae Main Market police were doing their best but could not do much as people who tampered with and burgled vehicles, as well as bag-snatchers and street sellers, operated in coordinated groups.
Wagambie said he was discussing with potential sponsors who had shown interest to assist with CCTV installation on strategic locations to monitor groups associated with petty crimes. “These CCTV will be used by police to monitor those locations so that when such incidents happened, perpetrators could be identified for apprehension and prosecution.”
Wagambie said otherwise major crimes in the city would have decreased.
He announced that police were working with Rosso’s office to increase the number of police toll free numbers before mid this year, saying the MP would make the announcement shortly