Festive season

PPC Korin said first phrase of the operation started on the 8^th and will end on the 14^th of December in South Wagi electorate.

The second phase will commence on the 15^th to 20^th December in North Wagi electorate including Jimi.

The third phase will begin on 21^st December to January 5^th 2024, which will include the change of police operation to mobile policing mode.

“The purpose of changing the police operation is to ensure police patrol all the districts within the province,” he said.

The company's operations teams across the country will be working actively during the holiday season to ensure consistent power supply. In case of any unforeseen outages, the company is committed to promptly addressing the issue and ensuring a quick and safe restoration process.

NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Silva Sika said early police operation into the festive season will ensure that the city is safe for public to move freely prior to the festive season.  

He said due to increased reports of motor vehicle incidents, police will start conducting roadblocks this week.

“We are organising with our traffic NCD to start roadblock day and night to ensure we reduce moto vehicle related accidents,” he said.

Official records from the Christmas period record nearly fifty (50) cases with 70 per cent being male.

The most common injury was Assault and Blunt force trauma, with Penetrating injuries being the next most common.

The New Year period, however, saw a quiet night progressing into the New Year with most casualties arriving after 8am to the department.

By 3:00pm on Monday 1st January 2023, over 40 patients were seen, 80 per cent were male.

Unfortunately, 98 per cent of all injuries during both the Christmas and New Year period were alcohol related.

According to police situation briefs, police officers in Madang town and the rural commands like Bogia, Walium, Saidor, Dylup, and Ileg were generally quiet except for drunkards who disturbed the peace.

The matter was dealt with at the community level without police assistance.

According to Provincial Police, Commander, Superintendent David Seine Jr the police units have been grouped in teams and will report to their respective bosses during their operation.
 
He said they will be working in shifts to make sure that police presence is felt 24/7 in the province. 

PPC Seine Jr is pleased with what the Taskforce Team did yesterday, where they conducted a mini raid at Morelang near RSL Market and caught three suspects involved in producing homebrew. 
He said the suspects escaped and their homebrewing implements were confiscated. 

Drunken fights, drunk drivers, drunk risk takers. These all result in injuries to the drunk person and sadly other people too. 

The Christmas period sees a rise in trauma-related emergencies for the ambulance service and hospitals, says the St John Ambulance.

Stating that injuries and accidents during the festive season are often a result of excess consumption of alcohol. 

ST John Ambulance is appealing to people that are choosing to drink; to please drink responsibly. That means not having more than one or two beer cans per hour. 

Chief Liquor Licensing Commissioner and Madang Provincial Administrator Frank Lau said a copy of the notice has been distributed to liquor shops in town and will also be distributed to the outstations in Ramu, Bogia, and liquor shops along the North and South Coast highways.

Lau has requested the police to assist liquor licensing officers by keeping their eyes peeled on all liquor shops and black markets in the province.

Police have passed on a very important message for residents to welcome the New Year responsibly.

In a briefing this morning with the NCD Metropolitan Superintendent, Perou N’dranou and his senior officers, Port Moresby residents have been warned to refrain from intolerable behaviors that will put them in trouble with the law.

NCD Police boss said for the residents to continue to behave and celebrate the same way they did during the Christmas period.

This was reiterated by NCD Superintendent for Operations, Michael Tilae.

“This is a straight warning to those people who like drinking on moving vehicles around the city.”

Police will be targeting this area very carefully during random road blocks and vehicles checks.

Tactical road blocks will be set up in critical areas considering that no liquor ban has been imposed in the nation’s capital.

“Police will make sure that road blocks are set purposely to make the roads safer for the drivers, pedestrians and commuters to move around in the city.”