The National Community Policing Team within the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) conducted awareness talks in line with the 16 days campaign against violence against women in several communities on Savo island in the Central Islands Province from 5 - 6 December 2016.
The awareness talks were conducted at Kalaka Community High School and Kuila, Sisiaka, Mbalola, Panueli and Pokilo villages. Most of the communities are on north Savo except for Kalaka which is in south Savo.
The talks covered topics including kwaso, marijuana, domestic violence, the Family Protection Act and the new Solomon Islands Crime Prevention Strategy 2016- 2018.
According to Paramount Chief of Kiki tribe, in Panueli village, Nathaniel Mapazepo, “The new Crime Prevention Strategy brings hope for the communities all around Savo. We need to work together and extra hard to set up our own crime prevention committee to help us address issues affecting our communities.”
Mr. Mapazepo said: “We will work closely with the Provincial Police Commander Central Islands Province to set up our community bylaws and ensure we abide by those bylaws.”
An elderly woman who spoke during the outreach program said, “Our communities here in Savo are not safe, as there is illegal sale of beer, brewing and selling of kwaso, growing and selling of marijuana.”
She suggested that police should visit their communities before the festive season to tell their people that all these activities need to stop to give way for us to prepare for this Christmas.
She wanted people in their communities to live in peace so that they can move around freely during the festive season.
A well-known chief from Kuila village, in north Savo, who does not want to mention his name said, “we chiefs make our decisions on issues but some people in our communities do not respect us. We really appreciate the new Crime Prevention Strategy to boost work in our communities.”
The RSIPF Community Policing Team presented sports items to the communities that they visited on Savo.