By Edwin Fidelis – EM TV, Lae
2014 has been a challenging year for the PNG Royal Constabulary.
In Lae, the growing level of economic boom in the province has put policeman and women under immense pressure.
Besides dealing with Lae’s law and order problems, they have to put up with squalid living conditions in their homes.
Earlier today, members of our Lae bureaus visited one of the oldest police barracks in the country.
The Bumbu police barracks is the home to more than 100 members of Lae police force who continue to live in houses that are on the verge of collapsing.
These pictures taken at the Lae’s Bumbu police barracks show the severity of Lae’s police housing problem.
Elizabeth Kenda, who recently moved into Bumbu police barracks from Bulolo with her husband had to spend at least half of her husband’s salary to pay for building materials to repair their house – A task that should have been done by the police department.
Just a block away, Lindy Lingau, is still living with her children and grandchildren in this rundown house.
Her husband, Chief Sargent, Chris Lingau passed away last year.
She is still negotiating with the police department to arrange for her family’s repatriation back to their home province.
While Lae city grows, it will need more police personals to cater to its growing law and order problems
Getting new police officers into Lae is impossible at the moment, because of the housing problem.
Officers in higher ranks like the Metropolitan commander, Ivan Lakatani, are making a strong representation of their men and women by calling for change in the police accommodation.
The housing difficulties faced by the Lae’s police only give a small picture of similar problems faced by police officers all over the country.
In Madang, it is no different.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=xhYR9xoAkHw%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
