RSIPF officers undergo UN pre-deployment training

Twenty officers of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) are undergoing a United Nations (UN) pre-deployment training at the Police Academy in Rove Honiara from today (28 February 2019) to 22 March 2019.

There are four female and 16 male participants.

Speaking on behalf of the RSIPF Commissioner, Chief Superintendent Evelyn Thugea says, “The one month training is to prepare members being deployed on overseas missions for living and working in an environment very different from what they are used to at home.”

The 20 officers who started their training today have been selected after going through a multi-faceted selection process. This includes English literacy testing, UN driving tests and a selection panel.

Chief Superintendent Thugea explains:

“The training which started today will include a Senior First Aid course, an Advanced Driving program to gain skills in four-wheel diving, water crossing and vehicle recovery before the participants do the intensive UN Core training and specialist training modules.”

“At the end of the training a selection panel will sit with the training team and select five out of the 20 officers who will then complete firearms training and medical testing ready for deployment. The remaining officers will make up the deployment pool for future missions,” says Chief Superintendent Thugea.

This is the first group of RSIPF officers that will undergo the UN pre-deployment training locally. Past trainings have been undertaken in Australia with the Australian Federal Police.