I was interested to read an account of community policing being undertaken by AFP members of the SIAF at Koa Hill.
The article appeared in the Solomon Star newspaper today, Friday, 26 August 2022.
In 1998 in exactly the same manner as the local police commissioner I personally conducted community policing engagements at Koa Hill and in many of the local urban settlements, and wider afield in both east and west Honiara.
In 1998 I was struck by the poor infrastructure, housing and community facilities at Koa Hill and from the photograph I have included as part of this letter, it would seem exactly the same conditions on the ground exist today as I witnessed more than two decades ago.
An essential aspect of my early community policing initiatives was not only to have closer police and community relationships but to bring to the notice of the government and the responsible members of parliament the conditions in the places I visited the need for development and social assistance for the several communities.
At Koa Hill, sadly from the available evidence nothing much appears t have changed for the betterment of the community residents and, regrettable, time seems to have stood still, and now an outside police force is once more covering the same ground to shore up community-police cooperation.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
