New Zealand Police completing tour of Fiji Police's critical units
A team from the New Zealand Police’s International Strategy and Planning International Services has completed a tour of Fiji Police’s critical Units in a bid to scope areas of possible assistance towards their Fijian counterparts.
The delegation was led by the Manager International Strategy and Planning International Services Mr Cameraon Sigley, Ms Nikki Johnson International Strategy Planning Advisor, Ms Sue Douglas the New Zealand Police Liaison Officer and Alex Jebson the Second Secretary at the New Zealand High Commission.
The team met Fiji’s Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho to discuss their findings after meeting with the heads of the Administration, Criminal Investigation Department, Operations and Training arms of the Fiji Police Force earlier this week.
“The purpose of our visit was to start engaging with the Fiji Police in areas that the New Zealand Police could start enhancing partnerships in areas mutually beneficial”.
“We’ve seen that there’s some good space to join and are particularly interested in the extension of the K9 Dog Program and the introduction of tracker dogs, to working with the CID around financial crimes, asset recovery, Forensics, as well as leadership training which was discussed with the head of training”.
Fiji’s Commissioner of Police acknowledged the support of the New Zealand Police in sending the team over to Fiji and also requested that neighbouring Pacific island nations be considered.
“I would be very happy if you use Fiji as the link to other smaller island countries around us, so we don’t leave them behind and I hope that we can look at this from a regional approach”.
“It’ll be great to extend an invitation to our neighbouring countries to see how the smaller island states can also benefit from the trainings to be conducted here, so that we move together to enhance our efforts in protecting our Pacific region together”.
The team from the New Zealand Police will put together a paper on their findings and will liaising with the Director Internal Relations Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ulaiasi Ravula on their next possible course of action.
