LIMITED manpower resource has been a challenge for the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIFP) in the Western Province.
This was highlighted by the Police Provincial Commander (PPC), Matthias Lenialu, in an interview with the Police Media Unit over the National Broadcaster – Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) – last week.
He said the province only has over 100 officers serving from Gatokae in the east to Shortlands in the west.
PPC Lenialu said this is not enough to ensure they attend to all reported crimes and issues that need police attention.
“Therefore, having a good manpower is very important,” he said.
He added that the transfer of senior officers elsewhere in the country also affected their performance because this only leaves junior and probationary officers to carry out police work in the province.
“When transfer happens, it normally affects our performance,” he said in the interview.
He also highlighted the need to have capacity-building training for all officers.
“And this [should] involve up-skilling for officers to make good orders and instructions,” PPC Lenialu added.
It is understood that unlike policing in some other provinces, Western Province faces greater challenge, especially when it comes to logistical supplies as the province is made up of many geographically-scattered islands.
Police in the province rely on outboard motors to conduct most of their operation across the province.
Also due to the limited number of officers, police in the province could not attend to some of the cases that had been reported to them.
By MOFFAT MAMU
