Tongan Police Officer wins regional award [1]
Thursday, October 13, 2016 - 21:56. Updated on Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 22:00.
Superintendent Tevita Vailea (44) was awarded the 2016 Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Chair’s Award for outstanding servicing to policing in the region. This is the first time Tonga had submitted nominations for the award, since it started in 2005.
Another Tongan, Chief Inspector Meleane Taueli (54) was the runner-up. The two Tongans were out of 10 nominations submitted by various Police from around the Pacific.
Commissioner Stephen Caldwell who attended the 45th Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Conference (PICP) in Tahiti from September 19-22, accepted the award for Superintendent Vailea.
He is currently the Commandant Directorate of Tonga Police Training College having served 24-years to date.
Supt Vailea's nomination included his leading role in the improvement of forensic (fingerprint) capability in the Pacific, through training and his involvement in PICP Forensic Fingerprint Accreditation Board. He was accredited as a Specialist in the Science of Fingerprints and is an active member of the International Association for Forensic Identification, and President of the Pacific Fingerprint Specialist Association, since 2001.
At the Police College, he was instrumental in bringing about a Diploma in General Policing making Tonga second to Vanuatu to gain such recognition and accreditation.
Professional standards
Chief Inspector Meleane Taueli who has with her 35-years of service is the Professional Standards Unit Manager.
She was nominated because of her work that included having served as a senior member of Tonga Police 5th Contingent to RAMSI in the Solomon Islands. She completed a National Strategic Intelligence Course and played a leading role in the development and setting up of the first intelligence group within Tonga Police in 2009.
Meleane was also team leader for the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre in 2007.
In addition, her wide involvement in Tonga Police WAN added value to the further development of women in Tonga Police, while advocating gender and equality in the workplace. In 2014, she was awarded a bronze medal by former Commissioner Grant O’Fee.
The Chair's Award is given out annually by the PICP conference, which aims to establish a direction for police action in the Pacific.
It was Tonga's first nomination and it won the award.