Attack Against Business Lady is Extremely Disturbing!

I strongly condemn the attack on Business woman Betty Volrath and the authority must do something about it. This is a sign that Solomon Islands is no long the country known to many in the past as the "Happy Isles". Whatever the motive was, it is something that the government and the city council should take seriously.

Ineffective Policing
The Solomon Islands police structure needs a serious overhaul. There is a need for a different unit of Police dedicated to "man-hunt" and "quick response". Incidents such as this, which occurred outside of town in broad daylight could have been prevented had a special response unit was created to response to stress-call or 9/11 calls in a swift manner. Right now, it is somewhat impossible for the CID to track down the attackers or even the getaway car. They are perhaps walking around Honiara town and with the help of their relatives they may get away with this crime.

Highway Patrol and Video camera
It is also time to improve the security of our highways. In a country where only a handful of cars patrolling the streets, mainly the mainroad, it is important to install security cameras along the highway. This video cameras could be monitored by Police head-quarters, or streaming live to police cars. The video cameras should capture crimes taking place faraway from the Point Cruz area. This is the most single effective way of catching thugs and it could have been effective in capturing those who attacked Mrs. Volrath.

A New Era: New Challenges, New Policing Tactics
The attack against foreigners is rising. Honiara was always a happy place, but years after the ethnic tension, new attitude emerged and copy-cut criminal activities are slowly taking over our city. Robbery, burglary, and rape, murder, and assault were things that we only saw on the Television screen and Holly Wood movies, but they are now in our midst. Our Policing culture must also change to meet the growing threats!

Government's Role
The Solomon Islands government should make security one of its biggest priorities. It is also time to spend money on activities that protect our country. The attack on Mrs. Volrath damages our image overseas and prospective investors. More so, the innocent people living and trying to make a living in Honiara.