Current ISG deployments

Bougainville Community Policing Project, 2013

Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, is emerging from a period of conflict. Respect and trust for law and order is essential to secure the region's future development and the safety of its people. In 1999, after consultation with local people, the Bougainville Community Policing Project (BCPP) was established in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to achieve this core objective.

View Google Maps - Bougainville

New Zealand Police officers work in advisory positions helping with the recruitment, training and operational management of 350 Community Auxiliary Police (CAP). CAP officers are selected by village chiefs, then undergo formal assessments and attend recruit camps. With 97 percent of the Bougainville population living in rural communities, CAP officers play a vital role in supporting chiefs and village courts. They also provide community awareness education and uphold law and order, which helps to bring peace and harmony to the village areas where they live.


Village community consultation identified that increasing the number of female CAP officers would enable rural women to more easily report offences affecting women and children. As a result, the proportion of female CAP officers has increased from five percent in 2008 to 22 percent in 2013. This highlights the importance of partnerships with communities, which ensure that Police provide services that meet community needs.

More recently New Zealand Police have also directed capacity development towards the full-time Bougainville Police service, by providing them with short-term and long-term specialist and advisory support.New Zealand Police Superintendent Murray Lewis and two Bougainville Police service officers by a vehicle across forest road near Buin, southern Bougainville.

Timeline of the Bougainville Community Policing Project
1999–2001

New Zealand Police develops the Bougainville Community Policing Project and coordinates implementation across Bougainville. They then withdraw from Bougainville.

2003

New Zealand Police returns to support development of community policing and the new Bougainville Police service.

2004–2005

New Zealand Police works with Australian Federal Police in Bougainville

2005

Australian Federal Police leaves Bougainville, while New Zealand Police continues to focus on establishing a solid platform for CAP.

2008-present

New Zealand Police works with CAP and provides mentoring and coaching to develop Bougainville Police service leadership.


More information about Papua New Guinea

For more information about the New Zealand Government's international aid and development programme visit the website of New Zealand Aid.

Visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for more information about Papua New Guinea

For more country information visit the CIA World Factbook on Papua New Guinea

Visit the newspaper Papua New Guinea Post-Courier online

Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands is a country to the east of Papua New Guinea, made up of nearly 1000 islands.

New Zealand Police has contributed to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) since July 2003. The Australian Federal Police lead the participating police services which form a policing component of RAMSI. New Zealand is one of 13 Pacific nations that contributes to the participating police services.

New Zealand Police Constable Anita Osborne with young Solomons girl.Historically, New Zealand Police rotated a contingent of 35 staff every six months, with a focus on helping with the policing needs of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force. The focus has now changed and there are fewer New Zealand Police staff on yearly rotations. Their aim is mentoring and providing a sharper focus on capacity development in specific areas such as criminal investigations, youth and alcohol, community policing, family violence and road policing. In January 2013 there were 17 New Zealand Police staff deployed in the Solomon Islands.

For more information visit the website of RAMSI


Timor-Leste Community Policing Project

Timor-Leste, formerly known as East Timor, is a country in Southeast Asia just north of Australia.

The Timor-Leste Community Policing Project (TLCPP) is a four-year partnership programme between the New Zealand Police and the Policia Nacionale de Timor-Leste (PNTL). There are four Timor-Leste districts in the TLCPP programme, with further districts being added after the initial districts have worked through the project.

Funded through New Zealand Aid, New Zealand Police is providing mentoring in community policing to the PNTL until 2015. With an in-country staff of two New Zealand Police advisors, ten mentors/advisors deployed to Timor-Leste to mentor district commanders and their deputies for a period of 12 weeks per year, over three trips a year.

PNTL district commanders also travel to New Zealand for a series of briefings, and to their mentor's/advisor's districts to view community policing in action.

Tonga

Tonga Police Beat Section lining up for inspection before start of duty.The Tonga Police Development Programme is a partnership between Tonga, Australia and New Zealand, aimed at strengthening the Tonga Police. It started in 2008 with the objective being an effective Tonga Police which has the trust and confidence of the community. Currently New Zealand Police has two long-term advisors seconded to the programme, based in Nuku'alofa full-time. There are also several short-term advisors who provide specialist in-country training and support to Tonga Police.