Beef up police force, Tighten Law and Order

I write in light of the latest killing of an 8B bus service crew by animal-minded youths at the Madang Airport bus stop last week Friday, between the morning hours of 8 and 10. The crew was no enemy of the youths who are believed to be from Sepik and was humble and understanding to us passengers. The crew came out of the PMV to give change to his passengers, when drunken youths from the near by market place came and launched at him. One of them, swung and bush knife and chopped three(3) of his fingers off and the other plunged a screw driver at the side of his chest. His relatives (from the Highlands) retaliated while he was evacuated to the Modilon General Hospital by burning down two(2) houses. By the time the police arrived, the main culprits had escaped. The news of his killing was a shock and sends out messages that our police force is low in manpower. Our system of law and order is slack. From my time, here in Madang, I have come to see that nearly half or one third of the culprits involved in lawless activities were either bailed out or service time in prison reduced or they have broken out of jail and have escaped and still at large or they are ignored. Families, friends and relatives have suffered, endured and will still continue to dwell the trend. Unless and until something is done about our system of Law and order. What I am saying here is only for Madang but out there, in other provinces, its much worse and yet nothing in done. Just like the killing of the young pilot a year ago, up to today, no justice has taken place and the murderers are still at large. I therefore, would like to call on government to beef up police force to its full 100% capacity with the provision of up to date artillery, enforce incentives in terms of salaries and living conditions to enhance performance and most importantly our system of law and order needs to be tightened. To do this, our government needs to impose severe penalties to crimes such as rape, murder, etc. For the sake of our mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, uncles, cousins, nephews, bubus and babies, can the government at least do something in that regard.

Silent Observer
Kerema Compound