The Lae Metropolitan Commander, Chief Superintendent Anthony Wagambie, says Criminal Investigation Division (CID) records have revealed a decline in major incidents.
From the month of June to December last year, there were 616 criminal cases reported to Lae CID. From January to June this year, 476 serious cases were reported.
There is a decrease of 140.
The serious crimes include fraud and stealing, rape, robbery, murder, wounding, grievous bodily harm, abduction and stolen motor vehicles.
Police were able to identify suspects in most of the cases and made arrests.
This year, an average of seven out of every 10 suspects have been arrested by police; a 70 per cent arrest rate and a significant improvement.
In addition, the reduction of crime in the city can also be attributed to the capturing of many known suspects who have been involved in a string of armed robberies.
In the past six months, Lae personnel have done extremely well amidst many tough challenges.
They have exercised restraint and control, especially during the Morobe youth protests last year and the ongoing Unitech student unrest.
Lae is generally improving with good policing.; response time to incidences has improved but there is still a lot more work that needs to be done.
However, a lack of resources and manpower is getting in the way of police duties.
The Metropolitan Command has made several recommendations and has submitted these through the Morobe Provincial Government and the Lae District.
These recommendations are for the sector patrol to be implanted in Lae City.
This concept, if implanted, will see Lae City divided into four patrol zones, each with patrol units.
Wagambie has indicated that the sector patrol unit will cost less than K500,000.
The new plan will become a deterrent to crimes and will avoid seeing people falling victim to crimes being committed.
