The understanding of officers in the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) of the rights of children and the issues they face in the communities is expected to be boosted after their participation at the Workshop on Child Rights and Violence held at the Rove Police Headquarters in Honiara 4 – 5 October 2017.
The workshop is a joint effort between the RSIPF and Save the Children in Solomon Islands under the project, ‘Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) in Solomon Islands’.
The workshop will discuss issues including:
• Child Rights and child-centred practice;
• Child development and sexual development;
• Violence against children including Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC);
• Working with children; and
• Qualities and skills needed when working with children.
“The intention of the workshop was for the experts in the areas of child rights and violence from Save the Children to share their knowledge and skills for dealing with children with the officers of the RSIPF,” says Superintendent Solomon Sisimia, Director of the National Community Policing Unit.
“I am pleased that the 16 officers representing various departments within the RSIPF from Honiara and Guadalcanal Province were able to attend this workshop to learn more about the issues affecting our children and how we can best deal with them. Police officers deal with children in their daily work so need to be skilled on how to deal with them and problems they face in our communities,” says Superintendent Sisimia.
He adds: “The workshop is part of the RSIPF Crime Prevention Strategy which stipulates working together with our stakeholders to discuss and learn what is best for our children, ensure our children are treated with the utmost care and at the same time educate children through schools and communities in the best practice of behaviour and attitudes.”
The RSIPF officers who attended the workshop were from the Sexual Assault Unit, Central Investigation Department, Community Policing Unit, Family Violence Unit and frontline officers.