The United States Ambassador to Fiji paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Police

The United States Ambassador to Fiji His Excellency Joseph James Cella paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho at the Fiji Police Headquarters in Centerpoint Laucala this afternoon.

H.E Cella was sworn-in as Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu on November 25, 2019 and has over twenty-five years of experience in public service, the private sector, and nonprofit work.

“The point of my testimony in the US Senate when I was being considered for this post, I spoke to my nature in that as one of a bridge builder to all those that I meet individually or in institutions, such as your great institution and to build new bridges where they can be built and preserve and enhance others where opportunities are available”.

The Commissioner of Police expressed the institution’s gratitude in the training assistance offered by the United States Government over the past years.

“We are indeed grateful in that you can take the time to visit a small Police Force here in our region and we look at ourselves as a Police Force that is punching above our own weight in collaboration with our bigger counterparts around the world, whether it be through Interpol or through bilateral relations”.

Training assistance offered by the United States to date include, the FBI Academy where Superintendent of Police (SP) Loraini Seru is attending as the first female participant from Fiji. US Sponsored courses on civil, Military and Police Relations for Peacekeeping trainers at the Centre of Excellence for Stability of Police Units in Italy where two Fijian officers are currently attending.

US sponsored International Visitor Leadership Programs delivered in Washington, Child Sexual exploitation/abuse training for frontline officers delivered in Suva, United Nations Peacekeeping Assistance towards the Fiji Police’s preparations for a UN Formed Police Unit deployment after a letter of Agreement was endorsed in 2017 by the Fijian Government and the USA through the US Narcotics and Law Enforcement Department to assist the Fiji Police prepare and fulfill its intention of deploying a full Formed Police Unit for peacekeeping duties.