POLICE Commissioner Frank Prendergast says the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) police commissioner’s conference last week has been a success.
He said the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) have taken on the chairmanship of the Police Commissioner group for the next 12 months.
Mr Prendergast said taking over the MSG chairmanship means playing our role in region.
“It gives us the opportunity to work for the remaining 12 months with MGS secretariat and show leadership on some of this very important issue for the region,” the police chief said.
Mr Prendergast told the media yesterday they have discussed some significant issues for the region including the MSG participation in UN peace keeping and also issues of regional significance such as emergency and disaster management.
“We have some good presentation from Vanuatu, for example, on its response to Cyclone PAM and the lessons learnt.
“We also discussed the merging issues such as cyber crime and have very good presentation from PNG on emerging cyber-crime and some of the initiatives they have taken.
“And the last issue is a new initiative for the MSG police commissioners around domestic and family violence. “
Mr Prendergast said they will be doing some more work as a group this year in relation to combating that issue.
“That is a very important development.”
He added that another issue that was discussed is the formation of the new police women network.
The police chief said this formation of the network will be focused on getting the senior executive women police officers from regional countries together to provide advice to the commissioners on how to improve participation by women in the police force.
Police Commissioners from Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and New Caledonia attended the conference.
The delegates left over the weekend.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
