By Linny Folau

Chris Kelley, Tonga's new Police Commander has been on the job for two weeks and knows he is facing a challenge, but he aims to develop a police force that Tonga can be proud of.

Tonga has been without a Police Commander, since early 2007, while the government was looking for a Police Commander who could raise the moral of the police force and restore the shattered confidence of the community in the police following the burning and the looting of business premises in the CBD on November 16, 2006

The post was advertised for several months and when the government was unable to find a suitable applicant they approached the New Zealand Government for assistance in finding a new Police Commander. Under a Tripartite Agreement between Tonga, New Zealand and Australia for a Tonga Police Development Program, Chris Kelley was selected. He was sworn in as Tonga's new Police Commander on September 22.

Challenge

"I know this is not an easy job and there will be a lot of demands but I am up for the challenge. I can't change what happened in the past but what I can do is look to the future and redevelop a police force that we can be proud of," the new Police Commander said. "My top priority is to restore the trust and confidence of the community in their police force."

In an interview with Matangi Tonga Online on October 6 Chris Kelley said that top priority on his agenda is to put in place a strong community policing model that will get police officers visible throughout the community, "on the beat and on a seven days a week."

"I want my police staff to be visible in the community and to interact with the people. Through strong community policing, people will be assured of their competency and if the people have an issue with the police or a certain police behaviour they should come and report the matter," he said.

Integrity

"If they feel they can't they should make contact with my office directly, because this is an integrity issue and we need to have a transparent procedure to deal with it," he stressed.

The Commander also has plans to strengthen the structure of the police organisation, "the way they do operations, the way they conduct investigations, the way they take complaints and the way they interact with people, because people need to know they are competent.

"We need to further develop how we conduct investigations to a higher standard, we need to have timely and effective response to calls of service and we need to make the priorities of communities as our priorities."

Training

The Commander has also planned a range of regular in country training programs that would bring in overseas police experts to tailor courses that would be appropriate to the Tonga situation, based on sound principles.

The Commander also looks at strengthening recruitments, development of skills, introduction of new technology and other innovative strategies.

"I don't expect to achieve this by Monday next week but I am confident we can do this because there is a move for organisational change and there is a will to address that change and I don't think the Tongan people expect any less."

Chris is a New Zealander with over 40 years experience in the New Zealand Police Force. He was a detective inspector working as a Crime Services Manager for the Southern Police District, New Zealand in 2006. He was later posted in Indonesia before leading a three-year posting as the Police Liaison Officer at the New Zealand High Commission in Canberra, Australia.