Work on condemned Menyamya police station starts

By JIMMY KALEBE
WORK on the condemned Menyamya Police Station in Morobe has started, says Morobe commander Superintendent Jacob Singura.
Singura said work started last month after the station and its cells were condemned last June and deemed unfit for human habitation by the Morobe health authority.
The authority was critical of the station’s rural lockup, water supply, sanitation and hygiene. The container that was used as a cell block had no water supply, sanitation and hygiene provision.
“With assistance from the Menyamya administration, work is currently progressing on these areas at the station, I am confident that the Menyamya Police Station would be re-opened soon,” Singura said.
He thanked the Menyamya development authority for helping police with the refurbishments.
“This shows the commitment the authority has towards maintaining law and order in the district,” he said.
Singura said this was the type of work in partnership that district authorities in the province should have with the police to minimise crimes.
He said the district was located at the border of Eastern Highlands and Gulf and was isolated.
“Drugs and arms smuggling is rife there,” he said.
“This is an area of concern and that is why the sooner the completion of the police station as well as the accommodation of policemen and women, we can at least manage it.”
Another setback, Singura said, was a lack of manpower on the ground there.
“At the moment regular police presence is very low, but with the police reserve programme by the Morobe government, this could help with reservists deployed there to help out,” he added.