Courtesy visit by the Samoan Police/Prison & Corrections Sevice Commissioner

The Samoa Police, Prisons & Corrections Services Commissioner Auapa'au Logoitino Filipo paid a courtesy call on Fiji Police's Acting Commissioner Juki Fong Chew this morning where exchanges revolved around furthering collaborative efforts towards regional security following the successful Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa last month.

It was his first official visit to the Fiji Police Force and Commissioner Filipo was accompanied by the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Executive Director Nicholas Brown.

Fiji’s Acting Commissioner Juki Fong Chew conveyed his appreciation to Commissioner Filipo for the hospitality shown towards the Fiji Police CHOGM contingent who were part of the regional Pacific Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (PCLEC) and the joint Pacific Police Support Group.

He said the success of the joint regional security deployment has set a precedent that all involved should be proud of.

The Samoan Police Commissioner acknowledged the Pasifika spirit shown by Fiji and other Pacific chiefs in supporting Samoa's security operations during the CHOGM, and the success of Samoa’s hosting was not theirs alone, but the region.

Other issues discussed were the potential for specialised pre-deployment United Nations peacekeeping missions considering the Fiji Police Force’s vast area of expertise with certified trainers, whereby regional efforts could be consolidated to show a united front in approaching peacekeeping deployments.

Fiji’s Acting Commissioner of Police said the Fiji Police Force stood ready to assist with other forms of regional training aligned also to the Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI).

The two Police Chiefs mutually agreed to further develop police to police cooperation as the region needed to work together to protect Pacific people from regional and domestic security threats.