RSIPF secures all police stations during the State of Public Emergency

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) is suspending its police clearance services at the Rove Police Headquarters in Honiara as part of measures to restrict members of the public from entering police stations given the possibility of the corona virus (COVID-19) entering the country.

“The RSIPF Forensics Department at the Rove Police Headquarters has suspended its police clearance report services until further notice to reduce the number of people entering the Headquarters,” says Acting Commissioner of Police, Mostyn Mangau.

He adds: “Officers in police stations have also been instructed not to allow unnecessary visitors to police stations in Honiara and throughout the provinces except complainants and offenders in order to control any outbreak of COVID-19.”

“The RSIPF has decided it necessary to take the measures to protect officers so they will not get sick and be available to continue to enforce the State of Public Emergency declared by the Governor General, Sir David Vunagi on 25 March 2020 and the consequential Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations 2020 gazetted on 27 March 2020.”

Acting Commissioner Mangau says, “I have also imposed an indefinite leave embargo on all officers to ensure that all the 1,500 officers of the RSIPF are available to enforce the Orders declared under the State of Public Emergency.”

“The RSIPF is confident that the State of Public Emergency and the Orders to be issued under that Declaration will be policed successfully. We are also securing all our borders to ensure no one enters illegally. But RSIPF will only successfully police the State of Public Emergency if all people in Solomon Islands observe the Orders.”

“Let us all cooperate with our government as they put in measures to ensure there is no outbreak of this deadly COVID-19 in our beloved Solomon Islands. Let us all support the government agencies by following the instructions given out on the virus. Do not spread false information but listen to advice from the appropriate government agencies,” Acting Commissioner Mangau emphasize.