Vehicles vital for police ops: Oyaya

CRIME rate in Lae would increase dramatically if all the vehicles hired by Lae police are to be returned, says Lae law and order chairman Sam Oyaya.
He was responding to Police Commissioner Gari Baki’s directive for all vehicles hired by police across the country be returned to respective hire companies by the end of this month.
“Lae is a very volatile city compared with other towns and cities. I am not questioning Baki’s directive but criminal activities would rise if police are not seen regularly throughout the city,” he said.
Oyaya highlighted that Lae police needed vehicles to effectively address and discourage law and order problems in the city and returning of the vehicles would have a negative impact.
“The crime rate in Lae would get worse as soon as the hired vehicles are returned. Unlike other centres, Lae is volatile so police need running vehicles.”
Oyaya called on Baki to reconsider his directive.
“The crime rate in Lae is different compared with other areas but police in Lae have stepped up operations by doing a sector patrol concept to minimise it.”