New years

Over 100 intoxicated young men, who were being nuisances in public areas, were rounded up and detained at the Kavieng Police Station cell from the evening of December 31^st, 2023, to January 01^st, 2024.

“Most of my areas in New Ireland Province, including Kavieng, Konos, Lakurumau, Namatanai, Lihir and New Hanover were all reported as quiet. It’s unusual but impressive. People celebrated but it was contained within their premises,” said provincial police commander, Superintendent Albert Beli.

The nature of emergencies varied widely covering incidents such as snakebites, respiratory problems, obstetrics/maternal complications, childbirth, trauma, and more.

Of particular concern was the noteworthy increase in violence and trauma-related emergencies, constituting 24 out of the 52 emergencies in the early hours of the New Year.

A breakdown of these violence and trauma-related emergencies revealed that 16 incidents occurred in the National Capital District, 3 in Central, and 4 in Momase.