‘Community Policing and Crime Prevention Model commended’

THE Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) has been urged to be adequately funded in light of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) drawdown.

The comment was made yesterday on the floor of Parliament by Member of Parliament (MP) for Aoke Langalanga, Hon Mathew Wale, in a supplementary question that was initially raised by the Leader of the Independent Group, Hon Dr Derek Sikua.

Sikua questioned the Minister for Police, National Security and Correctional Services, Hon Stanley Sofu yesterday on the Community Policing and Crime Prevention Model being developed and established by his Ministry.

He queried if the model is relevant to Solomon Islands, if it recognises traditional systems and if it works in partnership with all community levels.

In response, the Minister Hon Stanley Sofu outlined that the model aims to inform communities to take ownership in participation of policing activities and functions.

He confirmed to Parliament that the model is relevant to Solomon Islands’ context and is created in an adaptable way for people in all levels of communities.

Sofu further added that the model is well aware of cultural settings and fits well with cultural contexts and works with all levels of community partnerships including women, youth and churches.

Leader of the Official Opposition and MP for Hograno/Kia/Hauveli, Hon Jeremiah Manele then queried the level and stages of consultations on the model.

Minister Hon Sofu then clarified on the floor of Parliament that the model came into force in 2014 and 2015 but has only just recently come into full swing this year.

He then told Parliament that consultations have reached the provincial level including Choiseul, Western and Central Province and are still ongoing.

He then added that the provincial private sector level is also intensely involved in these consultations and that people are now realising that they play crucial roles in the implementation of the much commended policing model.