NCD Governor, Powes Parkop today highlighted the urgent need for a permanent appointment of NCD and Central Police Commander, and immediate release of funding for the proposed CCTV project in the city.
Since the January 10th looting and arson in the city, only acting appointment has been made to the Police Command in the City. If the Inquiry has cleared ACP Anthony Wagambie Jnr, he should resume duties. Otherwise, Acting ACP Peter Guinness should be made permanent so he can develop a better strategy to counter rise in offense like armed hold-up, said Governor Parkop.
The funding for the CCTV Safe City Project together with command and control centres and quick response capacity was committed by Prime Minister, James Marape in 2023 and is provided in this year’s National Budget.
He highlighted these interventions while commenting on the tragic killings at Tokarara Suburb today in Port Moresby.
According to reports, an armed hold-up was successfully executed by a gang at a store in the Suburb. One member of the gang was left stranded as they made away with their loot. A security officer of the Highlands origin was allegedly shot dead. Colleagues and the relatives of the deceased allegedly took the gang member’s life in retaliation.
While passing his heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen residents, he said both killing and armed hold-ups must be condemned and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.
“Both deaths are totally unacceptable and cannot be justified under any circumstances,” he said.
Governor Parkop admitted that the hold-ups and petty crimes are becoming weekly happenings in the city and the governments both at National and Sub-national levels must find social and economic solutions that stop young people drifting to crime especially hold-ups.
As part of his government’s community mobilisation and safe city initiative, he said, he has been mobilizing community networks to provide and boost, amongst other things, security in the city to assist police in their efforts.
The first initiative, he said, coincidentally is in Ward 8 which covers June Valley, Tokarara and Ensisi. The other 11 Wards will be mobilised too to address many social and economic issues they face with the support of NCDC and his office through the Provincial Service Improvement Program (PSIP) funds.
“Under this community mobilisation, we are already deploying trained young people to clear major traffic lights and street junctions of vendors. Support to the Wards will start soon.”
Governor Parkop also highlighted other city interventions that are targeted at providing support to young people and wider communities including SME empowerment programs, Urban Youth Employment Program, community surveillance and clean-up projects, School Fee Subsidy and TVET Programs, NCD Labour Mobility Scheme, Active City Development Program, investment in sports and church partnerships.
“We, as government, must find social and economic solutions that divert or stop people resorting to such criminal activities. Our ordinary and decent residents are fed up with crime and sadly, in this case the brutally killed robber.
Governor Parkop called on the police to intervene quickly to neutralize the situation on the ground and have the culprits arrested and charged accordingly using the video which is going viral on social media.