More than one thousand knives, including kitchen knives and bush knives, were confiscated by police during their citywide operation over the last three weeks.
The Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police, Benjamin Turi, confirmed that the operation, code-named “Street Eviction,” involved three types of actions: removing vendors, arresting traffic offenders, stopping and searching suspicious people and vehicles. He stated that the operation had led to the confiscation of these offensive weapons, which included nine homemade guns, five axes, 42 fake vehicles plate, one wire catapult, iron rods, and more than 1,000 knives.
He mentioned that the operation in the city will continue because it is part of the duties of each police station commander and others to take the lead and ensure that the city is clean and safe.
Acting ACP Turi, while acknowledging the good work of the police officers, also called on all police officers and the public to work together to make the city clean and safe. He stated that the city is improving, but more awareness and effort need to be made to educate the general public to become law-abiding citizens.
“Port Moresby is our city, and we want all citizens to take responsibility for making our city clean and safe. If you all work together with the police to identify people who break the law in the city, the minority will change. Most of us are law-abiding citizens. The few who are not being reported are the reason they continue to break the law, but soon they will be caught. Some PMVs and other defective vehicles are not on the road, which is why we are experiencing improvements in traffic flow in the city.
The other thing is we have experienced fewer traffic accidents. Those accidents that happened in the city in the last few days are alcohol-related, which we are taking note of,” Turi said.
He further added that the street eviction operation will continue with the intention of seeing Port Moresby as a clean and trouble-free city. He said the police are doing their best.