Courtesy Call by NZ POLICE ADVISORS

The Fiji Police Force has welcomed the second cohort of New Zealand Police officers who will carry out the Second Phase of the Fiji Police Partnership Program (FPPP) under the Duavata Partnership Agreement between Fiji and New Zealand.

The team is headed by Senior Advisor (S.A) Mark Pakes who takes over from S.A. Paris Razos who returned to New Zealand in December 2022.

Other team members include Senior Advisor Michele Gillespie, S.A. David Sanday and S.A. Wally Kopae and still to arrive is S.A. Jasmine Woolet.

The team met with the Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho this morning, ahead of their FPPP Executive Steering Committee meeting with senior managers of the Fiji Police Force.

The Commissioner thanked the New Zealand Government through the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and NZ Police for their continued support, and acknowledged the work of outgoing Senior Advisors Paula Razos, Paul Van Der Zee, Brent Murray and Margo Sollitt, who despite the challenges brought on by the global pandemic, achieved a great deal since the inception of the FPPP in 2020.

Under the Duavata Partnership agreement, the New Zealand Government has committed to expanding practical bilateral and regional cooperation in defence, policing, border security, cyber security, and intelligence through deeper knowledge sharing and more regular exchanges, and shared training and operation.

The FPPP aims to enhance capacity and capabilities of the Fiji Police Force across the four outputs of;

1. Development of Investigative Interviewing capability

2. Development of General Patrol Dog capability (K9)

3. Asset Recovery Support

4. Development of Leadership & Governance capability Also accompanying the New Zealand Police delegation was their International Services Group Director Superintendent Steve Dunn and New Zealand High Commission, Suva, Fiji Second Secretary (Political) Mr Jonathan Martin.

The FPPP is also supported by the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji.