FRIENDS AND WANTOKS ACROSS THE REGION.
As I depart the once-again Happy Isles, I can only offer you my heartfelt thanks for the role each Pacific Islands state, as contributing countries to RAMSI, has played in making my time as Commander of RAMSI’s Participating Police Force (PPF) such a rewarding one.
RAMSI IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT IS AN INTERNATIONAL mission drawn solely from our region. The PPF, in particular, is proud to boast, that in partnership with the Solomon Islands, it has members from all the 15 other nations that make up the Pacific Islands Forum.
Each one of those nations continues to provide us with dedicated, experienced officers who bring to the mission not only a wealth of knowledge and skills but, most importantly, a heart for the task of Helpem Fren, which to do properly certainly requires a thorough grasp of the Pacific Way.
Many of those nations make real sacrifices to part, for a time at least, with their scare policing resources. And it was with great sadness that we farewelled one of our colleagues earlier this year, the leader of our Vanuatu Contingent, Amos Solip, when he unexpectedly passed away.
Together, every day, we have worked with our colleagues in the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) towards the day when the RSIPF will once again be the rock bed for this nation’s security and prosperity.
The success of the RSIPF in shaping itself into a modern, effective police force that once again has the full confidence of the community is a fundamental requirement not only to any future success of this country but to the very viability Solomon Islands.
Each and every member of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force needs to embrace one simple fact: and that is that they who constitute the essential element that will make or break this nation. Like anywhere, if the population has the confidence to go about their daily routine with safety, then their nation is literally free to grow.
For the improved security that an effective police force can deliver will also provide the environment for the social change required for a nation to grow and mature and move forward in a positive way. Solomon Islanders already understand this, not the least from their own experience of what happened to this nation during the tensions, when the country’s police force did not and could not play its part in sustaining the nation and keeping it safe.
Thankfully those times are now behind us and it is important that the nation and in particular the men and women of the RSIPF focus on the future in a positive way, using the lessons learnt from those dark days to move both their policed force and their beloved nation of Solomon Islands forward.
My farewell parade put on by the RSIPF was a humbling experience and it will forever remain in my heart as it symbolizes not only what policing and discipline is all about but just how far we’ve come on this journey of renewal.
I want more than anything to see the RSIPF extend this discipline to all other aspects of its policing—in its respect for the community, attendance at work and in enforcing the law in a positive and fair way so that the community will grow to trust its police once again.
The RSIPF can be a credit to the citizens of this nation if its officers continue to work with pride, integrity and loyalty to their oath of office in line with their Constitution. I wish the new Commander of the PPF, Wayne Buchhorn the same enjoyable times I have had and I trust that he will be given the same support and good advice, accorded me over the past two years especially by our Pacific Islands colleagues and that in due course he also achieves the same level of satisfaction that I have enjoyed in helping to rebuild this force and this nation.
I have worked with many good people during in my time in Solomon Islands and leading the PPF in its partnership with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force has undoubtedly been the most challenging and satisfying tasks of my long policing career.
