Police at Gizo in the Western Province have completed a one week media awareness training which will assist them make better use of the media in their policing work.
The Provincial Police Commander, Western Province, Chief Superintendent, Mathias Lenialu and his heads of divisions attended the five-day training from 5 – 9 February at the Gizo Police Station. The training, funded under the Solomon Islands Police Development Program (SIPDF), was coordinated by the Program’s Media Advisor, Johnson Honimae.
“We are so grateful to SIPDP for funding and organising the media awareness training as the media is a very important partner in the everyday work of police in Solomon Islands for carrying messages and news of activities being implemented by our officers in this province,” says PPC Lenialu.
He adds: “During the training we were also given the opportunity to hear from two reporters representing the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) and the Island Sun newspaper what the media expects from us as a public institution especially in responding to queries about our activities in a timely manner. My officers were also briefed on the RSIPF Commissioner’s Order on the Media and the Media Strategy to implement the Order.”
“With the completion of the training, my heads of divisions are now in a better position to put together information on their activities through media releases and radio programs to be sent out through the media to ensure people in Western Province and the rest of the country learn about what the police is doing and what the community is expected to contribute as both parties strife to prevent crime in the country,” says Chief Superintendent Lenialu.
PPC Lenialu adds: “I want to thank the SIPDP Commander, John Tanti for the allocation of the resources to enable the Program’s Media Advisor conduct this media awareness training not only for my officers in Western Province but for the rest of my colleague officers throughout the country.”
The Media Awareness Training is being coordinated by the SIPDP as part of the strengthening of the capability of the RSIPF Media Unit to market the RSIPF with the aim of increasing the confidence of communities in the Force.
The same training will be conducted at other provincial police stations throughout the country including Honiara City within the coming months.