Call for reform of Tongan police force [1]
Friday, February 16, 2007 - 16:22. Updated on Monday, July 20, 2015 - 11:43.
The Tongan public, the government and the police were unanimous in their desire for the Tonga Police Force to be reformed a seven-members assessment team from Australia and New Zealand have found.
The team have been in Tonga since February 5 to assess the operation of the Tonga Police Force.
Dr Tony Murney, the Manager of the International Deployment Group, Governance and Future Business of the Australian Federal Police, and Superintendent Gary Smith of the New Zealand Police Force told the Tongan media yesterday "that reform is the agenda of the Tonga Police".
A detailed plan for a reform program would be drafted later but the team would recommend reform in their report to the Australian, New Zealand and the Tongan governments, said Tony. Draft copies of their report would be circulated to the three governments by mid-March and final copies of their report should be in circulation by early April.
During their fortnight in Tonga the team talked to members of the Government, the community, as well as some of the civil organizations including churches and interested parties who sought them privately.
The seven-members team is made up of three Australians, three New Zealanders and one Tongan.
The Australians are Dr Anthony Patrick Murney and Federal Agent Glyn Lewis from the Australian Federal Police, and Rochelle White from AusAID.
The New Zealanders are Superintendent Gary Smith, a Dsitrict Commander from the Bay of Plenty; Inspector Glenn Dunbier, an Area Commander of the Eastern Waikato District who is based at Thames; and Cameron Cowan from NZAID.
The Tongan is Lautoa Faletau, a former Tongan Police officer who is now working for the Australian Federal Police.