Safer Port Moresby Initiative (Completed)

Crime is one of the most serious problems affecting urban development and management in Papua New Guinea today, a country rich in natural resources, but failing to reap maximum returns due in part to low urban sector investment levels, which in turn result from high crime rates. Human insecurity, and especially crimes like those prevalent in urban Papua New Guinea, which are often accompanied by serious violence, have eroded both the social fabric of the city of Port Moresby and brought many aspects of normal life to a standstill. Whilst increasing rural-urban migration is blamed for these ills, there are known to be many causes of urban crime, embracing social, cultural, environmental, institutional, and economic factors. The Safer Port Moresby Initiative will identify the main causes of crime, and then build partnerships with governments, the criminal justice system, communities, traditional organisations, churches, NGOs and the private sector, to develop and implement an Action Plan to address these causes.

Project support has continued to the cross-sectoral Coordinating Committee (comprising of representatives from national Government, the National Capital District Commission, police, justice, churches, NGOs and the private sector) through the Technical Support Team established in the Department of Community Development. Core activities during 2003 concentrated on completing the "Youth and Crime" survey analysis, as well as the conduct of focus group discussions in the Burns Peak community - where the "Social Crime Mapping" was piloted. The crime management related activities of the Coordinating Committee members were mapped to provide an "Institutional Database", including a brief review of past and on-going crime prevention activities. The results of these surveys and reviews being presented in an “Overview of Local Insecurity” for the city of Port Moresby. Crime prevention action plans for Gordons Market as well as the Burns Peak community were initiated.