The injuries and even deaths from the use of the notorious wire catapult in the East Sepik province continues to be a major problem that requires a drastic and decisive action to fully address.Like any other homemade weapon, the wire catapult is also a very deadly weapon that is a major concern for the police says Provincial Police Commander, Superintendent Christopher Tamari. The wire catapult, also known as ‘Silencer’, consists of a metal rod sometimes sharpened with barbs or hooks and is used in a slingshot-style mechanism to propel the rod at a target. The wire catapult was originally used by the Sepik people living along the river as a fishing rod; however, it was later adapted and used as a weapon against people. PPC Tamari when speaking to PNG HAUSBUNG, said that the wire catapult is used mainly by intoxicated youths in social disputes as it is a convenient homemade weapon. “Social issues arise in the province because there are a lot of idle youths who are unemployed and have access to home brew.” “We do not have enough manpower on ground to attend to the law-and-order issues in the province,” said PPC Tamaris. The PPC is in the process of requesting for logistical support from district administrations for reserve police officers on ground so to better address the matter of fights and the use of the wire catapult. He also wants tougher punishment imposed for people in possession and using wire catapult so to deter them from using it. PPC Tamari said he was in talks with the East Sepik Governor, Allan Bird to ban the sale and use of rubber as it is the major component in making the slingshot to launch the wire. Meanwhile, PPC Tamari said currently it has been really quiet in the province with only a few alcohol related incidents. He also said that the LLG Elections went smoothly with no major incidents reported.