It would cost the Government around SAT$2 million to split the police and prisons into two separate entities which would be independent of one another, according to the Deputy Police Commissioner, Papali'i Monalisa Tiai-Keti.

Papali'i clarified to the Samoa Observer that this figure is an estimate at this stage. 

Currently, the Ministry of Police is liaising with the Ministry of Finance (M.O.F.) to carefully evaluate financial considerations. 

The process of establishing a specific timeline for the separation will be determined once these financial assessments are concluded and logistical details are finalised.

Papali'i provided additional details, stating that the estimated cost was suggested by the ministry to reinstate corporate services for Prison and Correctional Services after the formal separation. 

She went on to mention that, following the split, there will be a designated Commissioner for Prison and administrative positions that need to be filled.

The proposal by the new Government to split the two law enforcement agencies was revealed by the Minister of Police and Prison, Faualo Harry Schuster, and came over two years after the former administration merged the two agencies.

A bill by the former administration to unite the Samoa Police with the Samoa Prisons and Corrections Services was approved unanimously by Parliament in April 2020. It gave effect to a decision by the former administration to merge the Samoa Police Services and the Prisons and Correction Services under the management of then Police Commissioner, Fuiavaili’ili Egon Keil.

The passage of the law which legalised the merger followed the biggest prison escape in Samoa's history in March 2020 when 36 prisoners broke out of jail and dashed for freedom.

In 2022, Faualo admitted that the split would be challenging and could take time. He also explained the rationale behind the proposition by the new Government to split the two was because the police's objectives were law enforcement, investigating, detecting, and prosecuting crime whereas the Correctional Services was to rehabilitate criminals.