Tondop: No arrests reflect no resources

By JUNIOR UKAHA
POLICE in NCD are not executing their duties effectively because of limited manpower and logistics, Metropolitan Superintendent Commander, Joseph Tondop said yesterday.  
Tondop told said that the weekend’s ethnic clash between the Engans and the Helas and last month’s ethnic clash between the Goilala’s and the Taris could have been easily contained if police had the numbers and also the necessary logistics in place.
He said manpower and existing resources were over-stretched as the population of the city was growing fast and also because of national duty call out duties involving police personnel from Port Moresby.
“Don’t think that police can solve all the problems, as law and order issues are everybody’s business,” Tondop said.
He also admitted that people were not coming forward with information on crimes thereby hampering the work of police resulting in bag-log of cases still under investigation.
In relation to the recent ethnic clashes, the city’s top police boss, said:  “No arrests have been made as yet but once police put the fire out, we will identify the people involve in the killings and arrest them.”
Tondop said his long term plans were to increase foot patrols at strategic locations in the city, increase police personnel at cop-shops and carry out massive education and awareness on law and order issues in settlements in the city where bulk of the people live. 
Tondop further appealed to all Engans and Hulis to refrain from further fighting and come forward with information on the killings so that arrests can be made as soon as possible.