Helping rebuild policing services in Banda Aceh

New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID), with support from New Zealand Police, have agreed to assist rebuild policing services in Aceh that were devastated by the earthquake and following tsunami on Boxing Day.



NZ Police have a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation with the Indonesian National Police and on 14 February 2005 Commissioner Rob Robinson and the Chief of Indonesian National Police met in Jakarta, and later visited Banda Aceh to assess the devastation.

A subsequent bilateral working-party developed a report that identified two stages of assistance for policing in Aceh. Stage one – equipment and housing assistance as a priority, and stage two – staff development to commence later in 2005 and continuing in following years.

A ceremony was held on 13 May 2005 to formally sign over of the contribution of stage one assistance; 100 kitset houses, 20 motorcycles and 50 typewriters for the police staff in Aceh. The ceremony was attended by His Excellency Chris Elder, New Zealand Ambassador to Indonesia and senior Indonesian police staff.

Superintendent Hamish McCardle, Police Liaison Officer based at the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta, says the offer of assistance was made in the spirit of closer policing and humanitarian cooperation between New Zealand and the Republic of Indonesia, and recognises the central role of policing in supporting Aceh’s communities regain safety and security after the disaster.