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Pacific Islands Chiefs of PoliceWorking towards "Safe and secure communities for all Pacific Island countries" |
2006 Communiqué35th Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police ConferenceHeld in Palau from 27 to 31 July 2006 Policing the Pacific Together The Annual meeting of the 35TH Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police was held in Koror, Palau from 27th to 31st July 2006. The theme for the Conference was “Policing the Pacific Together”. The Conference adopted a regional plan to manage the police response to disasters. This plan reflected the desire of the Chiefs of Police expressed in Fiji at the 34th annual conference to be able to support each other in times of disasters. The resources and capabilities of each of the member countries were identified as part of the development of the plan. This allows members to identify strengths and gaps in the regional framework of policing and to determine alternatives to overcome these. The PICP members agreed to work together and to share resources where needs occur. The members of the PICP considered a range of issues affecting police services, their officers and their families such as corruption, domestic violence, HIVAIDS, human rights, alcohol and drug abuse, and especially their often poor conditions of employment and service. The Chiefs of Police identified that it was necessary to properly reflect the unique nature of policing and the responsibilities which police members carry, but saw that in many countries this was limited by police conditions of employment being tied to the general public service conditions. The Chiefs resolved to undertake a detailed analysis of the existing service conditions across all of the members with a view to improving the conditions of employment and service for their members. The Chiefs of Police recognised the critical importance of modernised police enabling legislation in the promotion of effective, efficient and ethical police services across the region. The Chiefs of Police received a number of strategic assessments on transnational crime in the region and agreed to develop response plans to combat these threats both nationally and regionally. Many pacific police services operate craft under the Pacific Patrol Boat programme. The role of these vessels and their current use was examined. A range of alternatives was developed to allow for the greater use of these resources by both the police and other law enforcement agencies so as to combat offences committed at sea and across borders in the Pacific. The Pacific Chiefs of Police received an updated report on the regional programme to combat HIVAIDS in the police services and reaffirmed their resolve to work together to combat this threat. The members received a briefing on a proposed Global Traffic Safety Police Network with The World Bank and United Nations World Health Organisation and in acknowledging the damage to their communities through death and injury on the roads, resolved to work together with this programme. Commisioner Andrew Hughes, the Chairman for the 34th Conference, awarded the PICP Annual Award for service to policing in the region to Sergeant Ratai Cymon Kaivananga of the Cook Islands Police in recognition of his outstanding service to other Pacific Islands Police members in the RAMSI deployment in the Solomon Islands between August 2005 and April 2006. He created opportunities for interaction with the local community in sporting events; developed and delivered additional training to other Pacific police members; and acted as the Chairman of the Pacific Islands Contingent Commander's at RAMSI. The Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police will next meet in New Zealand in 2007. Archives:
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