RSIPF participates in Exercise Coastwatchers 2019

About 60 officers of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) will participate in the Exercise Coastwatchers 2019 which will be conducted within the vicinities of Choiseul and Western Provinces with officers of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) from today (26 August) to 5 September 2019.

RSIPF officers from the Police Maritime Department, the National Response Department including Police Response Team and Explosive Ordnance Device, National Emergency Management and Special Events Planning Office (NEMSEP) and frontline officers from Choiseul and Western Provinces will participate in the Exercise.

“The ‘Exercise Coastwatchers’ is a bilateral Exercise between the RSIPF and the ADF and other Solomon Islands Government Agencies aimed at developing operational response capabilities to plan, conduct and support remote policing and security activities and enhance the ability of the RSIPF and other government agencies to safely and effectively conduct outer islands law enforcement and security,” says Assistant Commissioner of Police, National Operations, Chief Superintendent, Alfred Uiga.

ACP Uiga adds: “It is an annual event since 2017 and this year it will be conducted within the vicinities of Choiseul and Western Provinces with a base at Taro, the provincial capital of Choiseul Province.”

“During the Exercise, the participants will undergo several theory trainings and undergo exercise serials to test what they learnt in theory,” ACP Uiga explains.

“On behalf of the Commissioner of RSIPF, I wish to express our gratitude to the ADF for this invaluable opportunity given to our officers to be trained in operational response capability together with other government agencies including the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO),” says ACP Uiga.

He explains: “The Exercise should also give confidence to our people especially in the Choiseul and Western provinces of the capability of the RSIPF to maintain security in their communities.”

“It will also maintain and develop the strong relationship between Solomon Islands and Australia as partners in maintaining security in the region,” says ACP Uiga.