Law and order is not a major issue in Lae because of community support.
Metropolitan superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr had nothing but praise for the community in PNG’s second largest city.
The response time for police in Lae is between five to ten minutes.
Metropolitan superintendent Wagambie Jnr says they have adjusted their policing to meet the community’s needs, and this has worked wonders for him and his team.
“We have implemented our strategies in terms of initiatives like the toll free number, sector patrol and also supporting our existing police units,” he said.
“Generally in Lae city, policing wise it’s much quieter than before maybe because of the strategy and community support. It couldn’t have worked out without the support of the community.”
Wagambie Jnr said printing the numbers on police vehicles, including SMS blasts being sent out by Digicel, ensured that residents, including people in other parts of the province, Madang and even Eastern Highlands, were able to quickly alert police when incidents arose.
However, with over 400 personnel under his command, the met supt is still not immune to challenges that plague the RPNGC forces nationwide.
“Oh yes we do have challenges like logistical problems, manpower problems,” he said.
“Problem with manpower in manning the toll free number and also in the police stations. We have those problems which are there, like fuel problems, but we tend to get around it.
“We have good community support so we get around that and ensure we have a safe community in Lae.”