Sogavare tells nation to trust armed cops
PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare says there’s nothing to fear about police officers being rearmed.
He made the assurance at the opening of the new Police National Response Department Building at Rove Police headquarters.
The building houses the new police armoury.
“I can assure everyone – the members of the public and the media, church groups, women’s groups, youth and all citizens, that there is no reason for us to fear RSIP officers who will be bearing arms, under the program,” Mr Sogavare said.
“I want to make it clear that the personnel who will be bearing arms have gone through a series of specialised and rigorous training, which requires them to use the arms only when the situation becomes critically necessary,” he added.
“In other words, they have been trained and disciplined to use these firearms for protection and for the sake of maintaining law and order in very critical situations, and only as a last resort.”
Besides the armoury, the new facility also accommodates an armourer’s workplace, offices for the Police Response team (PRT), Close Personal Protection team (CPPT) and the Explosive Ordinance team (EOT), male and female barracks accommodation and firearm unloading bay.
“This facility is not just another ordinary building but it provides the central nerve centre to conduct important functions and services that will enable RSIPF to respond to any security situation with strategic and well-managed and disciplined tactics, using specially designed and fitted equipment and resources.”
Mr Sogavare said RAMSI has been assisting the RSIP Police Commissioner to finalise a set of accountability and governance rules and systems to ensure the firearms are handled responsibly and appropriately.
He said training in compliance with these accountability and governance standards is going very well, and selected officers within the RSIP will soon be ready to be armed.
“The training for the selected officers within the three operational units within the RSIP is so strict that those officers who failed to pass the stringent standards have been dropped from the units.
“And it is only when Cabinet is satisfied with the developments of the staged, limited rearmament program that Cabinet has authorised the purchase of the small number of policing firearms.
“Let me assure the people of Solomon Islands, that these weapons are Police weapons that are used by Police Forces worldwide.
“Once the arms are procured, the next and final step is to agree to the carriage and use of the firearms, a decision which only the Cabinet will make, when it is absolutely satisfied that all necessary training, storage infrastructure, control systems and governance arrangements are in place.”
Mr Sogavare said the Government is fully aware of the concerns of the people regarding the rearming of the Patrol Boats.
However, he said at this stage, armed personnel will be deployed with the Patrol Boats only when required.
“As your leader and Prime Minister, I am satisfied with the current work progress of the RSIP limited rearmament program.
“I strongly believe that the limited rearmament capability designed for the RSIP is sufficient to make this country safer and enable the Police Force to deal with dangerous and armed offenders.”
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
