The National Capital District (NCD) Governor, Powes Parkop, has come out to make a desperate plea to the police to appoint a permanent NCD/ Central Police Commander following a drastic increase in crimes in the capital city of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The good governor said since January 10th riots and looting (Black Wednesday), only acting appointment has been made to the Police Command in the City. He then went on the say that if the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the January 10th incident has cleared Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Anthony Wagambie Junior, then he should resume duties. Otherwise, Acting ACP Peter Guinness should be made permanent so that he can develop a better strategy to counter rise in offence like armed hold-up, said Governor Parkop. The governor also called for the immediate release of funding for the proposed CCTV project in the city. He said the funding for the CCTV Safe City Project together with command-and-control centres and quick response capacity was committed by Prime Minister James Marape in 2023 and is provided in this year's National Budget, so it should not be difficult to release this funding. Governor Parkop admitted that the hold-ups and petty crimes are becoming weekly happenings in the city and the governments, both at National and Sub-national levels, must find social and economic solutions that stop young people drifting to crime, especially hold-ups. As part of his government’s community mobilisation and safe city initiative, he has been mobilizing community networks to provide and boost, amongst other things, security in the city to assist police in their efforts. The first initiative is in Ward 8 which covers June Valley, Tokarara and Ensisi. The other 11 Wards will be mobilised too to address many social and economic issues they face with the support of National Capital District Commission (NCDC) and his office through the Provincial Service Improvement Program (PSIP) funds. “Under this community mobilisation, we are already deploying trained young people to clear major traffic lights and street junctions of vendors. Support to the Wards will start soon.” Governor Parkop also highlighted other city interventions that are targeted at providing support to young people and wider communities including SME empowerment programs, Urban Youth Employment Program, community surveillance and clean-up projects, School Fee Subsidy and TVET Programs, NCD Labour Mobility Scheme, Active City Development Program, investment in sports and church partnerships. “We, as government, must find social and economic solutions that divert or stop people resorting to such criminal activities. Our ordinary and decent residents are fed up with crime."