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Last week Save the Children Australia and the New Zealand High Commission staged a day long program to promote communities who are collaborating on fighting crime within their areas.  "There are currently 11 active communities involved in this initiative" a RSIP officer told Lifhaus.  He also revealed that the RSIP's role in the program was simply to actively promote this initiative.

"During Commissioner Frank Short's time in the Solomon Islands, community policing was very effective and it also had national coverage.  It was one of the biggest departments in the force and well equiped with manpower and equipment."  The spokesperson also said that during the ethnic tension and immediately after RSIP changed their focus and "community policing died a natural death.  But we are again starting to go down that part but we have a very long way to go."

The day's activities included song competitions, an 8 minute promotion and stalls were erected by each community to promote what they have done and their future plans.  "We hope that the public and some other communities will learn about this concept and revive it again.  We also hope that the top brass at the RSIP will also pay attention to the call to reintroduce community policing in the Solomon Islands."

Kobito community stunned the crowd with a special song that sparked off some good natured dancing and clapping.  "I thought they were brilliant and I enjoyed their item" said a person who had attended the program.  "I have been here since 6:30am and I have not left these grounds; thats how great this program was." another one told Lifhaus.

The days activity closed just before nightfall and if the success of the day was anything to go by then community policing is surely back on the radar.  Let us hope that it fulfills its objective of strengthening the reach of police into communities so that crime and criminal activities can be lessened.