A group of 10 officers from the Samoa Police, Prisons and Corrections Services left for China over the weekend to attend a seminar hosted by the Chinese police.

According to a statement by the Samoa Police, the officers were nominated to attend the 2023 Seminar on Civil Peacekeeping and Police Capacity for the South Pacific Island Countries, held in the People's Republic of China.

Police Commissioner Auapa'au Logoitino Filipo encouraged the 10 officers to make the most of the opportunity.

"Utilise this opportunity wisely, do your best, while you are there, and we look forward to the results of your training,” said Auapa'au.

Auapa’au reminded the officers that they were carrying the nation’s flags in China.

“You will be an ambassador for Samoa when you are overseas. You must remember the significance of your trip," said Auapa’au.

The team comprises three female officers and seven male officers with ranks ranging from Senior Sergeant, a Sergeant, Corporal and a Constable.

Senior Sergeant Faafetai Auva’a on behalf of the deployed team extended thanks to the Commissioner for his blessing upon their journey to China and for giving him and his colleagues the opportunity to represent Samoa Police, Prisons and Corrections Services at this unique and important gathering.  

Auapa’au wished the team the best at the Seminar on Civil Peacekeeping and Police Capacity for the South Pacific Island Countries.

The selected officers are the first to attend the 2023 Seminar on Civil Peacekeeping Police Capacity for South Pacific Island Countries.

The seminar is a three-week event.

Meanwhile, a high ranking Samoan police officer was amongst a group of three Pacific officers who attended a Community Policing (COMPOL) Course held in Tokyo, Japan, recently.

There were 21 COMPOL directors from around the world who attended the 15-days program where three directors were from the Pacific region (Solomon Islands, PNG and Samoa).

The course commenced with an in-depth study of the principles and foundations of Community Policing, emphasizing the importance of building trust and collaboration between communities and the police force.

The visit to Koban Police Stations in Japan offered valuable insights into the implementation of Community Policing in practice where they observed the close interactions between police officers and the community in their daily activities highlighting the effectiveness of this approach in fostering trust and ensuring a safer environment.