A TWO days consultation between some of the community chiefs within the outskirts of the Honiara city and Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) to discuss issues affecting communities kicked off yesterday.
It is being held at the CYP conference hall, East Honiara.
It is an initiative by the National Community Policing unit of the RSIPF after having consultation talks with some chiefs in the outskirts of Honiara city with the theme “Empowering the Chiefs Roles”.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Police Commissioner Frank Prendergast said, such initiative will help ignite the roles of the chiefs in the different communities within the capital.
“I believe that holding such a workshop will help to rebuild our role as leaders in the community to combat and to prevent, reduce and solve crimes.
“As we are all experiencing, our role in the community today is more challenging than it has been in the past, due to changes in lifestyle and the increase of anti-social behaviour among our children.
“We can all work together to address these issues to prevent crimes from occurring,” the Commissioner said.
The police boss said that the importance and aim of the workshop is to rebuild the very fine roles of the chiefs in each community.
“Exercising the chiefs’ power will serve to build respectful communities.
“With the prevailing increase of crime rates across the Solomon Islands especially in Honiara, the workshop is geared towards addressing these social issues and empowering the chiefs to deal with such issues.
“The RSIPF is working very hard together with all stakeholders including the chiefs to prevent crime and to build harmony in our society,” Mr Prendergast added.
According to the police chief, some of the important issues that are expected to be discussed during the workshop include, the new crime prevention model to be introduced, chiefs roles and responsibilities according to law/custom, standardizing all compensation claims, and chiefs selections.
By RONALD TOITO’ONA
