Grant O'Fee, Tonga's new Police Commissioner

Grant O'Fee, Tonga's new Police Commissioner, has been on the job for only two days, but he aims to improve public confidence in the Tonga Police, "so people can have faith in us, as a credible police department with integrity," he said.

The 62-year-old is contracted by the Tongan government for three years. He brings 44-years of experience in the New Zealand Police and most recently, as Commander of Operation Rugby World Cup 2011 in Auckland.

He takes up the top job 10 months after former Police Commissioner Chis Kelly, also a New Zealander, left Tonga on August 6, 2011 after the Tongan government refused to renew his contract.

Police Commissioner O'Fee said on July 3 that he was honoured to take up his new job, and that he wanted to see public confidence in the police to continue to improve.

"If the public do not have confidence in us it doesn't work. There are many things involved and that includes tackling domestic violence, police accessibility to the public and looking after victims. These are all wrapped up in that aim to improve public confidence in the Tonga Police, and it is no different in New Zealand as we struggle sometimes when things don't go right," he said.

Reforms

Police Commissioner O'Fee also looks to continue the police reforms that Commissioner Kelly started and counts on the support of his senior staff, including Deputy Police Commander Taniela Faletau.

"I am keen, not to put too much change onto the Tonga Police, but on public confidence, because without public confidence there is no police department. I am very interested in trying to keep the public confidence up so people can have faith in us, as a credible police department with integrity."

He said he knows there would be challenges and he looked forward to it as he applied for the job because he was not ready to retire just yet.

Police Commissioner O'Fee will this week start visiting police stations throughout Tongatapu and continue to the outer islands.

He said one thing he had always done was that he would get to know his police staff and to give them the confidence and support to make decisions at their own level.

"I don't mind if they make mistakes just as long as they acted in good faith and legally. But if they do something illegal, that is different, because for public confidence to go up you have to make hard decisions and although nobody likes to make them they still have to be made and that is what I am here for," he said.

"The public has to know we are accountable and we will be accountable", he said.

Taniela said it was good that the Tonga Police Act had put in place grievances procedures for police officers and a professional standard unit is also there.

RWC

Police Commissioner O'Fee said, during the RWC operation he was impressed with the thousands of Tongan fans who turned out in support of the Tonga National Rugby team, in Auckland.

He said their biggest night was not the final or the opening but it was the night that Tonga beat France. "It was a huge night and we just had thousands of Tongan fans," he said. "We thought a lot of people turned out for the Australians, French and English team at Auckland airport and even the All Blacks moved around with a lot of people. But the most people who turned out by far, were the Tongan fans and we completely underestimated the passion of the Tongan supporters and it was fantastic," he said.

Police Commissioner O'Fee joined the New Zealand Police as a police cadet in 1968 and had various postings in Wellington, Porirua and was District Commander at Tasman District from 2000-08.