Quote.
"The Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI) endorsed at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting in Tonga last week needs "national consultation", Solomon Islands prime minister has stressed.
Australia announced it would commit approximately AU$400 million over five years to ensure the programme delivers on the aspirations of Pacific countries.
The Australia-funded initiative - backed by the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) and the Australian Federal Police - is earmarked to reshape the way policing is conducted across the region.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele told reporters the Tonga summit that his government endorses the policing initiative in principle, but that consultation is needed.
"As a government we agree, we endorse in principle in terms of the Pacific Policing Initiative, and of course, we commend the work of the chiefs of police over the years," he said.
"We also endorse, as part of developing this initiative, the importance of national consultation so that it's owned and driven by countries."
The 51st Conference of the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police in Tonga. The theme of the conference is "Our Blue Pacific On the Global Stage". Key regional policing priorities will be discussed as part of the Chiefs collective commitment to building a safer and secure Pacific region.
The implementation of the initiative is being hashed out at the PICP meeting which has kicked off in Nuku'alofa this week.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand was "all in" on the initiative and would be contributing financially towards its $400m cost, according to NZ Herald's report.
"We're all in, we think it's a fantastic idea," he was quoted as saying, downplaying suggestions the proposal was aimed to bar China from gaining a strong foothold in the region."
End of Quote.on plan," Tonga's Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku said last week.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand was "all in" on the initiative and would be contributing financially towards its $400m cost, according to NZ Herald's report.
"We're all in, we think it's a fantastic idea," he was quoted as saying, downplaying suggestions the proposal was aimed to bar China from gaining a strong foothold in the region."
End of Quote.
Comment
Some Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders have raised concerns around whether the PPI is in fact guided by the Pacific.
Each Pacific country has differing policing needs and there is some merit in what the MSG leaders have opined and there is no one fit policing model to suit all Pacific countries and Australia and New Zealand must take this aboard in composing a suitable police training initiative to suit all.
Advocates of community policing, and I are one, believe that the approach mobilizes a variety of resources to solve problems that affect community safety and stability over the long term. They also contend that the more traditional crime-fighting model allows problems to fester by simply responding to incidents as they occur rather than addressing their underlying causes.
I firmly believe that community policing is beneficial to the Solomon Islands and any new PPI should incorporate its practice and procedure..
What is not needed and particularly in the SI is a heavily weaponised police and Australia should especially take note of such an important observation in drawing up an acceptable programme of PPI policing and be appraised of what happened in the SI with the theft and use of stolen sophisticated lethal arms that had been allegedly supplied to the former SIP by Australia.
The cost benefits of a PPI Programme for the SI will not come cheaply or lightly for the addition of police personnel must accommodate staff housing availability, uniforms and all accoutrements, transport, communications equipment, wages, welfare needs, police buildings such as police stations, to mention just a few matters,
Before any PPI can take shape and materialise then consultations, as the SI PM hinted at must take place and all the ramifications of such an idea fully examined.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
www.solomonislansdsinfocus.com.
Frank Short
