Twenty-seven vehicles, including 25 police trucks and two minivans, were handed over by HE Mr Brek Batley to the Prime Minister and Minister for Police, Hon. Hu’akavameiliku today, 16 August, at the Tonga Police College grounds in Nuku'alofa.

The Australian High Commissioner to Tonga said that these vehicles,  worth TOP $3.5 million (AUD $2.3million), will support Tonga’s preparation efforts for the Pacific Island Forum Leaders' meeting and contribute to the long-term policing around the country.

“These 27 vehicles will replace many police cars, at the end of their life, and they will contribute to Tonga’s efforts to deliver a safe and successful Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Leaders' meeting,” he said.

“These vehicles will also contribute to the long-term policing in all the island groups of Tonga”.

Tonga Police Commissioner, Shane McLennan, said that these new vehicles will support them to deliver the security operations in the next few weeks for the PIF leader’s meeting.

“I should point out that over a third of our fleet is over 15 years old, seven of those vehicles have half a million kilometers and two of them have over seven hundred thousand kilometers on the clock”, he said.

“The police vehicles are used 24/7 so no one does what we do –we can’t do that without tools of trade and a police vehicle is a basic tool of trade for a police officer.”

The gifting of the vehicles is part of Australia’s close and long-standing Tonga-Australia Policing Partnership. Australia will also be providing maintenance for the vehicles to assist with sustainability.

These vehicles will contribute by:

• Improving long-term community policing in all island groups of Tonga;
• Enhancing national security, by responding to the challenge of illicit drugs and transnational crime;
• Improving frontline response to survivors of family violence.