The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF), supported by the RSIPF and Australian Federal Police (AFP) Policing Partnership Program (RAPPP), recently conducted a series of school and community awareness programs in Munda and Noro, Western Province.
The visit aimed to acknowledge and thank local communities for their support during the recent Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Retreat held in Noro and to strengthen community-police relationships through engagement and education.
In Munda, RSIPF police officers, along with RAPPP’s Health Wellbeing and Community Engagement (HWCE) Team, conducted an awareness session at Kokeqolo Community High School (CHS) on student safety, drug and alcohol awareness, and the growing concerns around cybercrime and cyberbullying.
The session ended with an interactive segment of quizzes where students were able to ask questions and win prizes.
Speaking to RAPPP Media, Kokeqolo CHS Headmaster Silas Izoma reiterated the importance of such visits, stating that the visit has been nothing short of informative, praising the efforts of the team for tailoring such a visit to suit school children of all ages.
“These types of visits are really effective in getting my students to understand better the issues affecting them and the role RSIPF plays in the community.
“Most of these children are scared of men in uniforms, so to have these officers visiting them and interacting with them will definitely change how they perceive authoritative figures in the community.”
Mr. Izoma further stated that these types of community visits should be done regularly, as they strengthen the partnerships that we want to see with authorities.
“I request that these types of visits to be done twice a year, as it is very effective in getting our children to better understand the role of RSIPF in our communities.”
He also thanked RSIPF and RAPPP for this initiative, as it builds trust and confidence in the RSIPF operations in the Western Province.
“Thank you, RSIPF and RAPPP, for visiting us. Your visit has left a lot of positive impacts on our children, as they now understand better the issues that are affecting them and are making them better future leaders.”
The team also visited Noro Community High School to deliver the “Be Aware! Take Care!” program, which is a RAPPP initiative that has reached more than 5,000 students in Honiara.
The session covered topics such as the dangers of alcohol, drugs, and bullying, as well as online safety and positive citizenship.
RSIPF Chaplain Melden Hall also spoke to students about self-respect and maintaining a healthy body and mind. At the conclusion of the event, the team presented gifts, including sports equipment, school supplies, and t-shirts, to the school and students.
The engagement concluded with a community thank-you event at Mobile Community in Noro, where RAPPP and RSIPF officers led discussions on respectful community living, strengthening ties between police and the community, democratic policing, and the impacts of drugs, alcohol, and family violence.
Following the two-day program, the HWCE Team received several requests from schools and communities in the Western Province to deliver similar programs in the future, highlighting the positive response and growing interest in collaborative community policing initiatives.
– RSIPF
