THE Bloody Ridge Community is a safe place to live and this is attributed to its establishment of community security task-force.
The Bloody Ridge community security taskforce operates 24 hours daily to ensure community peace and order for residents and has been registered with the Company Haus.
Bloody Ridge Community Security Taskforce Constable Moses Maetabu told journalists last week that crime has zeroed since the community security taskforce initiative was introduced.
Mr Maetabu said his taskforce has submitted its zero-crime report to the police as evidence of its effectiveness in ensuring peace and order in Bloody Ridge.
He said he is currently training the second lot of young people from the community to work as community security officers.
“This training covers areas like security protocol, fire hazards and safety measures, first-aid and health fitness.
“The first group that underwent the same training with him had been issued with certificates at the conclusion of their training and the second group will also be issued with certificates when their training ends.”
Mr Maetabu said any person from the community wanting to join the community security taskforce will have to go through the same training as agreed on by community members to ensure the fitness of the security taskforce to carry out its mandated task.
He said it has not been an easy task getting the community to understand the importance of establishing a security taskforce but he is now pleased that people’s mindset has changed when they see the positive outcomes of this initiative.
“We managed to reduce the crime rate in our community. We have arrested 25 people so far for disorderly behaviour and handed them over to the police who locked them up in the cell blooks at the Honiara Central Police Station and the Rove Police headquarters.”
“About 80 percent of our young men have joined the community security taskforce and this drastically reduced the community crime rate.
“Our community is now very safe for our children, students, women. Our community leaders and church leaders are happy with this positive development and so are we the fathers and young men of the community.
Mr Mastaba said the Bloody Ridge Community is keen to participate in any social activity, awareness programme and workshops that the Police National Crime and Prevention Unit, Ministry of Health and Medical Services or any non-government organisation may hold for local communities in the future.
The Bloody Ridge was the fiercest battle field during the Guadalcanal Campaign and this paper understands that the government has allocated this site for the development of a flagship national peace park.
By LACHLAN EDDIE
Newsroom, Honiara
