Wewak town quiet as festive season starts

WEWAK town in East Sepik is quiet as police continued their festive season operation.
Provincial police commander Superintendent Robert Gesa said Christmas operations had actually started on Dec 9.
“Police will be doing their normal Christmas duties in the town as well as in the districts during the festive season,” Gesa said.
The Wewak District Development Authority and the provincial government are supporting police with transport and logistics.
He said the population increase was a challenge.
“We are down with manpower – one police officer to 1500 people,” he said.
He said it was killings that were getting out of hand with not many arrests done.
“Police receive reports one or two weeks later and when reaching there, the suspects are gone. The police cannot do much as we are handicapped,” he said.
He said people should work with the police. Gesa is also concerned about police brutality cases in the province.
“People experiencing such treatment should always report the matter so that police will look into it and not to feel discouraged thinking something bad will happen if one reported a police officer involved in brutality.”