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Petty crime continues unabated in Honiara as police struggles to combat an obvious insurgency.  Lifhaus spoke to various people living in different communities in Honiara and most agree that although statistics show decreasing crime rate, unreported crime does paint a different picture.  "Domestic violence and internal disputes, thieving are often not reported so the statistics that the police say shows decreasing crime is not really true."

Minor incidents are also frequently reported in Auki, the Malaita provincial capital.  "Usually small crime point to bigger underlying issues within our society.  For example, an increase in domestic violence points to a bigger problem of our cultural values being eroded, the illicit sale of alcohol or isolated cases of drunken intimidation shows the failure of certain institutions within our country to protect and promote peaceful coexistence." said a commentator speaking with Lifhaus

A recent victim of a road accident claims, "traffic cases that are yet to be brought before the courts have filled volumes of books and it will take some time before the police eventually get to your file."  Many accidents are settled out of court and the chances the perpetrators will reoffend are usually high and very likely.  "We also have some very outdated laws in which I may be compensated for less than the cost of damage to my vehicle or the guilty party getting away with the crime for a small fine.  It is ridiculous."

Reports reaching Lifhaus from Lata indicate collusion between police officers and common criminals.  "There seem to be a problem with Police Officers posted to Provincial Centres and substations not able to cope with the increasing incidences of stealing, burglaries, break in" said our Lifhaus Lata correspondent.
 
Questions are asked by the larger community whether police are ever concerned, lazy or part of the criminal activities

"In Lata, criminal elements have become so obvious and clues are everywhere but hardly any arrest. Most police officers have been there for more than a decade and perhaps outlived their usefulness. Criminals are not afraid these days because police officers are either sleeping or eating with them."

In criminal prone villages surrounding Lata, elders and chiefs simply cannot handle notorious youths who are engaged in stealing from neighbours. Stealing happens on bush gardens, inside the villages and within Lata.

"Criminals are smarter nowadays, they can even remove belongings bit by bit that property owners would not become suspicious."  Our correspondent added "Community policing might work but if members of the community are not cooperating then it’s hard to deal with the culprits."

Our Lata correspondent suggests that Police officers should be posted to a certain area for a maximum of say 3 years and rotate. "Perhaps the police can try to ensure that the majority of officers for one particular Police Station should come from different islands and not all from that place."

"One can become patriotic and serve his province but there is also a danger with wantok system. With the new much awaited federal system, where can we place the boundary?"