Four female RSIPF officers train to become drone operators

Four female police officers will become the first drone operators of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) currently undergo four days training at Rove Police headquarters.

Four Police Officers are Sergeant Florence Wasi from the Close Personal Protection (CPP) Unit, Police Constable Elizabeth Tome from Naha Police, Ethel Leamana from RSIPF Forensic Unit and Lucy Binuika from White River Police.

Supervising Director National Response Department (NRD), Inspector Clifford Tunuki says, “It was a privilege to see female officers train to become drone operators. Gender Diversity within the RSIPF has been recognise and therefore, today with the opening of the RSIPF Drone Operator Training demonstrates RSIPF commitment to ensure that female officers are provided with the opportunity to gain skills such as drone operators.”

Director Tunuki says, “An Expression of Interest (EOI) was send out via Women’s Advisory Network (WAN) and you have been selected to be part of this training to enhance the RSIPF Drone Support Unit (DSU) capability as part time officers.”

Supervising Director says, “The training will focus on the following areas:
• Civil Aviation Authority of Solomon Islands (CAASI) Aeronautical Information circular AIC/02/16, Civil Aviation Act, RSIPF Governance for drone use;
• Evidence Act and storage of digital evidence
• Meteorology and Weather implications impacting the use of drones
• Aerodynamics
• Set-up of drones and equipment’s
• Practical Operators session and assessments
• Drone Camera capability
• Further flight testing and assessment.

Mr Tunuki says, “The drones will greatly enhance RSIPF capabilities. This includes range of policing activities but not limited to
• Intelligence collection
• Investigation
• Border Operation
• Crowd-Public Order monitoring and identification
• Search and Rescue
• Natural Disaster
• Media
• Traffic Monitoring.”

“The drones have a capability of flight radius up to 8 kilometres and a ceiling of 500 metres,” says Supervising Director Tunuki.

The training commenced today (11 January 2021) with a small opening ceremony and witness by few advisors from Solomon Development Program (SIPDP) and Director Learning and Development of RSIPF. The program will finish on 14 January 2021.

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