One notch up: Lae Police now have CCTV cameras at the main market

If you saw the Lae Market  police station in 2012,  it was a depressing sight.  The windows were broken, it was dirty.

Today, the station is a different place.   Station Commander, Gordon Matafimo,  was moved from  the Chinatown  station to  the market.  The station was repaired  with help from Lae’s business community.

Last week,  station began using  CCTV cameras. It is the first trial in Lae City and it is reaping very good results.  The camera have become  a powerful tool is crime prevention.

“On the first day, we made 20 arrests,” Matafimo said. “They were for petty crimes and traffic offences.”

The CCTV cameras  came about as a result of negotiations  between the  Metropolitan superintendent and members of the Chinese community.   They asked how they could assist police and  Lae police requested for cameras that would boost police  operations.

The cameras record and store up to 40 days of footage.   Police can see number plates  of vehicles  committing traffic offences.  They can also identify  petty  crime offenders,  have them arrested within minutes and have the evidence ready to present  in court.