Long-serving police officer, Acting Deputy Commissioner Sālote Grewe Tonga (61) who retired after 42-years of service with Tonga Police, was farewelled in a parade on Friday, 8 July.

She was presented with a Long Service Certificate by the Minister of Police Hon Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa, and commended by Police Commissioner Stephen Caldwell at the Police headquarters in Longolongo.

Commissioner Caldwell said Sālote has been an inspiration and role model to generations of police officers and a true guardian of the law and people.

“She was a leader who led from the front and was not afraid to make hard decisions and enforced the standards and discipline required and expected of a police officer.”

He said Sālote lived the Tonga Police values of doing what is right, being just and honest, upholding the rule of law and human rights, loyalty to king, nation and belonging to the people and respecting others.

"Salote treated everyone from all walks of life with respect," said Commissioner Caldwell. "Sālote epitomises everything that is good about a police officer."

Service

 At the age of 19, Sālote joined Tonga Police in January 1974 as a Recruit Constable.

Over the years, she was promoted to Sergeant, Inspector, Chief Inspector, Deputy Commissioner and most recently acted as Deputy Commissioner Community Policing until June this year. She took a lead role in response to schools violence in Tongatapu, reaching out with talks to schools.

Sālote also participated in regional operations including Contingent Commander for RAMSI Team 4 assigned in response to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands and was part of the Police response to the riots in Honiara in 2006.

The Tonga Police parade was attended by the diplomatic corps, members of the Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, HMAF,  and retired police officers.