“Sharing the Knowledge” - Pacific Prevention of Domestic Violence ...

ISSN 1178-1963
News
DECEMBER 2008
“Sharing the Knowledge”

Programme update
Welcome to another edition of the PPDVP News. It has become
a bit of a best seller as we now distribute over 500 copies around
the region.
The PPDVP has started to work with the Vanuatu Police Force
who have joined the programme as a participating country.
We have included a “bio” for the new Vanuatu mentor,
Alan McGlade of Hamilton. We also welcome an additional
reserve mentor, Sue O’Neill, from the Central Police District in
New Zealand. You will see that they both have a wide range
of experience that enhances our overall skills base for the
programme. Welcome to Alan and Sue.
The Case Management and Intelligence System (CMIS) database
from Jade Software is in place in a number of countries and going
well. The take-up by staff has been excellent and their knowledge
of the number and range of domestic violence cases is increasing
through the use of this tool. The Cook Islands Police are using
it throughout their police service and the overall feedback from
them has been excellent.
This edition includes an article about the annual DV training
course, which was held in Tonga in June. The focus was around
investigating reports of domestic violence and gathering the
best possible evidence to support the prosecution of offenders.
The Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) met in Samoa in
September. The PICP continue to offer their support to the
PPDVP, and we have seen some clear instances of this. In PNG, the
Commissioner has taken a firm line on cases where his staff have
assaulted their partners and we congratulate him on this. A group
of the Micronesian Chiefs of Police have asked for assistance.
This will be assessed and hopefully occur early next year.
In November, we will join with the Pacific Islands Law Officers
Network (PILON) and NZ Crown Law who facilitate an annual
training course for prosecutors in litigation skills. The course now
includes a DV component using material from the investigations
course syllabus. Five police prosecutors will attend the training
in Vanuatu. We are also planning a basic prosecutions training
course for about eight police prosecutors in April or May next
year in Auckland. The NZ Police Prosecutions Service is working
with the PPDVP on this.
A senior investigator from Papua New Guinea spent ten days
in Auckland on a domestic and family violence study tour.
This edition includes some extracts from his report, and the
lessons he learnt. It was a very useful tour and one that we will
look to repeat.
The PPDVP Team offers you all our best wishes for the end of the
year and the Christmas and festive seasons, and we hope that
you have some quality time with your families and friends.
Cam Ronald
2
Cover Photo: Pacific participants attending the Auckland Study tour
in November 2008. Photo: John Selkirk, Dominion Post.
Understanding
the Pacific
The New Zealand Police
Commissioner recently commented
on the challenges of policing the
pacific. Commissioner Howard
Broad spoke of providing assistance
Cam Ronald
to other police services, and
he noted “Inevitably, the first step is to develop the trust and
confidence between donor and recipient - that is the basis of all
human interactions.”
“When I sit down and talk with my counterparts from across the
Pacific, once I have their confidence that I understand them as
human beings, that we have offered each other the respect due
each other, and this includes overcoming an inherent shyness on the
part of Pacific people, they have plenty to say about their needs. “
The Commissioner concluded his commentary with “Sometimes
going to places like Samoa, the Solomons, Timor Leste and
Rarotonga points out to us that regardless of the operating
environment the principles of decent policing are the same.”
These comments struck a chord with the various activities that
make up the PPDVP. At the recent Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police
(PICP) meeting in Samoa a group of the Micronesian chiefs of police
raised the need for support around domestic violence knowledge,
understanding and training in their three countries. Each has
diverse needs but the underlying theme is that they wish to do the
best for their people, and to deal with these crimes and the harm
they cause.
Providing assistance to the countries in Micronesia is no simple
matter - most of them are at least two days travel from New Zealand,
often meaning up to four “sometimes connecting” flights each way,
and the countries themselves are mostly made up of a series of
small communities on scattered islands. The PPDVP will listen to the
local police, discuss their problems and see how we can help them
over the next few months.
At the time that this edition of the PPDVP News reaches you, a
series of gender based violence surveys in the Solomon Islands and
Kiribati will have been released. The picture painted in these two
surveys is not a pretty one with extremely high levels of violence,
both physical and sexual, committed against women by their
partners and within their communities. These surveys will bring a
spotlight on to the pacific. The PPDVP is responding to identify ways
in which we assist the local police to reduce harm to the victims,
their families and society.
The programme welcomes any comments/contributions
to the newsletter. If you wish to make comment,
please direct to Kim Woon (Support Officer, PPDVP),
Level 4 - PPDVP / ISG New Zealand Police Headquarters,
180 Molesworth Street, Wellington, New Zealand or
email kim.woon@police.govt.nz DDI 64 4 4707373,
Cell 64 021 224 3526. Fax: 64 4 4749540.

Farewell to old friends and Welcome to New Members
The Programme acknowledges the work of past members and
welcomes its newest members:
Assistant Chief Inspector Lutoviko Manu formally the head of the
Tonga Police DV unit, resigned from the Tonga Police service earlier
this year. Manu had been with the PPDVP since the commencement
of the programme and he was therefore very much one of “our team”
across the pacific and a key member of our overall knowledge group.
He was a key figure in the development of the domestic violence
unit in Tonga and part of the team that developed the first domestic
violence training curriculum delivered to Pacific Police in Auckland in
April 2007. We wish him well as he moves on to a new career.
The new officer in Charge of the Tonga DV Unit is Detective Sergeant
Seteone Poutele, he is well respected within the Tonga Police Service
and brings a wide range of skills to the position, Seteone was part
of the team of experts from the Pacific whom gathered in Tonga to
develop the Investigative Training Curriculum which was delivered to
Pacific Police Officers in Tonga in June 2008.
The programme also wishes to record our thanks to Sergeant Rebecca
Ellis Hoskings formally the head of the Cook Islands domestic violence
unit Rebecca, like Manu in Tonga, had been with the PPDVP since the
commencement of the programme. Rebecca is a well known identity
in the Cook Islands and was instrumental in developing partnerships
and opening a number of doors for the programme in the Cook
Islands. Rebecca retains her role as the chair of the Woman’s Advisory
Network (WAN) for woman police officers in the Pacific and will be a
great sounding board for the new Unit O/C.
Senior Constable Pauline Rangi takes over the reigns from Rebecca.
Pauline was part of a small team of officers that attended the CMIS
database training in April 2008 in Rarotonga run by the PPDVP.
New PPDVP Mentors
Sergeant Alan McGlade from Hamilton Police, and Senior Sergeant
Sue O’Neil from Palmerston North Police, have joined the PPDVP
programme and are both welcome additions.
Alan McGlade
Alan joined the Police in 1992
and was involved at the start in
the Hamilton Abuse Intervention
Pilot Project, in association with
the Police “pro-arrest” practise as
a frontline member. After several
years on frontline sectional work,
he moved to Hamilton East
Community Policing Centre, and
later to Hamilton City and joined Alan McGlade
the CIB. He worked on the Hamilton
Child Abuse Team (CAT) for the next five years, becoming the senior
detective and relieving O/C on the team on a regular basis. He has
focused on building awareness and educating NGOs and Government
organisations about child abuse and the work of the CAT office by
preparing and presenting various training programmes, information
leaflets and point of contact details. He was relieving O/C CIB at Huntly
for three months before moving onto the Waikato Law Enforcement
Team as the sole detective and relieving O/C, where he dealt with
burglaries, property offending and drug offences.
In 2005 he became the Officer In Charge (O/C) of the newly launched
Family Safety Team (FST). He is working extensively with government
and non-government agencies building on the existing networks,
promoting and educating on Family Violence, and striving for best
practise in all areas of response to families in crisis. The FST focuses
on providing supervision, guidance and training preparation and
presentation involving all collaborating partners in the area of
Family Violence.
Sue O’Neil
Sue joined the Police in 1991 and was
posted to Wanganui. She qualified
as a Detective and has worked
on a wide range of serious crime
investigations, but her passion is in
the area of child abuse investigations
and she is a qualified specialist child
interviewer. Sue was promoted to
Sergeant on sectional duties before
becoming a Police prosecutor. After Sue O’Neil
15 years in Wanganui, Sue transferred
to Palmers ton North being promoted to Senior Sergeant in charge of
Operations. The role included the Family Violence portfolio, Officer in
Charge of Youth, Community Group, Dogs, Briefing Centre and Court
Orderly. Also attached to the role were Neighbourhood Support, Ethnic
Communities, Community Patrols, Tertiary and Korowai Kahui (Maori
advisory group). Although extremely challenging, the diversity ensured
that it remained interesting. Sue enjoys working with the community,
particularly ethnic communities and refugees, which forms a large part
of her work. Sue has worked closely with the Congolese, Burmese, and
recently the Bhutanese, communities.
“I had the pleasure of traveling to Fiji with Kim, Soni and Alan where
we met with many people from around the Pacific who work in the
area of Family Violence. I was amazed to see the number of different
agencies and the range of work that was being carried out. The trip
provided an ideal opportunity for networking and gaining knowledge
of what is going on out there. I am looking forward to getting into this
role in PPDVP and working with Police around the Pacific. I hope the
experience and knowledge that I have gained over the years will be of
benefit to the people of the Pacific”.
3

Regional
Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Fakalofa lahi atu, Nisa bula vinaka, Num estae,
Kia orana, Kia ora tātou and warm Pacific greetings.
The PPDVP is a unique programme in the sense that what is being
advocated is a whole of ‘Pacific Policing’ approach to responding to
domestic violence, and having consistent processes and procedures
as well as a common view towards domestic violence being a crime
and not a private matter and while each Pacific Policing organisation
will have reached different levels of response the fact that we have
all reached a level of agreement that has led to the signing of a
Declaration between Pacific Police Chiefs against domestic violence, is
a major step forward.
The programme has been privileged to meet and work with many
officers from other Pacific Police Services, local and Regional NGO’s,
and community organisations. It has shared laughter and understood
the tears shed by some very committed and passionate people,
including police officers who have been moved by a personal
experience or recognised anothers personal journey, heard stories
told by children and wondered about their future, marvelled at the
triumph of others in trying circumstances, and in their own success
stories. These experiences have both inspired and motivated the
programme to move further ahead to move this very important issue
forward.
The challenge continues as the programme is nearing its third year of
deployments.
While many well-established non-government agencies and
community organisations in the Pacific Region have been tackling this
issue for some time, Police agencies around the world including the
Pacific region, are steadily continuing to build their own capacity and
are making good inroads into responding more effectively to reported
incidences of domestic violence.
We are now seeing the benefits of a developed process of gathering
information on domestic violence both within and outside of police
organisations. In particular CMIS is being used to better inform police
managers, more arrests are being made, repeat offending identified
and a zero tolerance by officers towards domestic violence offending.
While these are things that are developed and being developed, we
are seeing attitudes changing, albeit slowly and as Cam (Programme
Manager) keeps saying: “It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen”.
The Regional programmes continue to move forward and we warmly
welcome Vanuatu in joining the programme as the fifth participating
country and at the same time, new mentor Alan McGlade from the
Hamilton policing region in New Zealand who is assigned to Vanuatu.
Commissioner Patu Lui is a strong advocator for the programme and
we are thankful for his continued support as has Mr Jeff Langley (NZ
High Commissioner) to Vanuatu.
The second ‘Train the Trainers’ (Investigative) Domestic Violence
curriculum was delivered in Tonga in June this year and is being
consolidated in participating and Link countries. The CMIS database
is getting a good airing, and forms an integral tool for advising local
police services of the impact of DV.
The Pacific Island Law Officers
Network (PILON) workshop took
place this year and brought together
over 40 lawyers from across the
Pacific to be trained in litigation and
advocacy skills under the guiding
hand of Robert Lithgow (Chair)
and up to 20 Faculty members
from around the Pacific as trainers. Inspector Soni Malaulau
For the first time in its 14 year history
of training pacific lawyers PILLON has included six Police prosecutors
in the litigation skills training, The course also now has a domestic
violence component with a domestic violence scenario added as one
of the ‘fact patterns’. Participants will be trained in a mock courtroom
scenario practising opening and closing remarks, cross examination,
examination in chief and examination of expert evidence relating to a
domestic violence prosecution.
We are also now looking at providing assistance to Pacific Nations
in the Micronesian areas as a result of request from them at the last
Pacific Island Chiefs of Police meeting in Samoa.
On the local front in NZ, we have seen a PNG Investigator complete
a two-week study tour in Waitakere, Auckland and we currently have
seven Pacific Police officers working in the Counties Manukau area,
South Auckland, in full uniform on a two-week study tour. They will
meet local NGO’s and accompany NZ Police officers on up to three
nights of patrol work, observing them attend incidences, including
responding to domestic violence cases. This has already had a
marked effect on Pacific Police with feedback on the high standard of
professionalism shown by NZ Police officers.
On an even more local front for me personally, I ready myself to join
the Afghanistan contingent to assist New Zealand Police’s efforts
in that region. I commence training in January/February and will
deploy later in the year returning towards the end of the 2009.
No! the PPDVP programme is not going global although on that front
we have had many request for this programme to be developed not
only in Afghanistan but in other areas outside the Pacific. While the
temptation is there the reality is more sobering so as we advocated
right from the beginning, small steps, small steps.
In 2009, the programme will look at intensifying its programmes
of consolidating the training within police services, ensuring that
capacity to respond is increased and exploring ways to create and
sustain awareness of DV. “Yes we are focused on outcomes but even
more so, on the impact that we are having at the local level both
within Police services and on the community as a whole”
Inspector Soni Malaulau
Regional Coordinator, PPDVP
4

PNG Study Tour – Auckland NZ, September 2008
Papua New Guinea Officer Warmly Welcomed
In August/September 2008, Detective Sergeant Tinol Pakiapon from
the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC), travelled to
New Zealand for a two-week study tour.
D/Sgt Pakiapon’s visit stemmed from a March 2008 visit to Papua
New Guinea by the PPDVP Programme Manager, Cam Ronald.
D/Sgt Pakiapon, the officer in charge of a sexual offences and
domestic violence unit in the RPNGC, has been part of the six-person
investigative unit in Boroko, Port Moresby for 14 years. His visit was
funded through the PPDVP’s Technical Assistance Fund.
D/Sgt Pakiapon’s New Zealand study tour enabled him to spend
time with NZ Police Domestic Violence Unit, Sexual and Child Sexual
Offence investigators, as well as being introduced to the wide range
of women’s rights and victim support groups within the Waitematā
Police District. He was warmly welcomed by all.
S/Sgt Marty Edghill, on temporary assignment to the PPDVP, and S/Sgt
Dave Ryan, a PPDVP mentor based in Waitematā, managed the twoweek
study tour, including a wide range of activities in the Waitematā
Police District, and excursions further a field to make the most of the
opportunity to meet key stakeholders. Two of the highlights for D/Sgt
Pakiapon were his attendance at a ‘White Ribbon’ planning meeting
and a day trip to Hamilton with the new mentor to Vanuatu, Sergeant
Alan McGlade, for an overview of domestic violence procedures in
that Policing District.
Since returning to PNG, D/Sgt Pakiapon has submitted a full report
on the study tour to his Commissioner of Police and the PPDVP.
He returned to Papua New Guinea leaving all with the clear message
that the secondment had been very much a learning experience,
enhancing his knowledge of the value of a professional and respectful
approach to both work and the community, and at the same time
increasing his knowledge and understanding of the New Zealand
approach to gender-based violence. In his own words, D/Sgt Pakiapon
described various aspects of the Study Tour as follows:
“One thing that hooked me was to see all these NZ Police woman and
men in their full uniforms especially for night shifts. Everyone is there on
time for work, on patrol on the roads, quick response to calls, especially
by front line police, and sober attitudes when reporting for duty”
“During this trip I had to pause and reflect on the very important role
I play back at home as a policeman accountable to the Police and to
the members of the public I swore to serve”
“If I can respect myself, I will have no problems at all respecting other
people and their properties. This is what I learnt and it is very valuable to
me. I will be passing these values on to the men and woman under me”.
“This has re-enforced the need to identify police personnel for
domestic violence training through the PPDVP, and for personnel
to undergo specialist training in NZ or bring experts in to train staff.
This programme should be an on-going thing for more RPNGC
members’ participation”.
Detective Sergeant Pakiapon was extremely appreciative of the way
he was received by all staff. The study tour was his first experience
outside Papua New Guinea and a truly meaningful activity for him.
The study tour is a continuation of the excellent relationships
developed between the PPDVP and the RPNGC.
Inspector Soni Malaulau
Regional Co-ordinator
D/Sgt Pakiapon with Senior Constable Glen Compain of Auckland Police.
PPDVP and PILON Litigation Skills Programme 2008
In December 2008, the Pacific Island Law Officers Network (PILON) Litigation Skills Programme will be delivered at the University of South
Pacific, Emalus Campus in Port Vila. This is the 7th programme funded by NZAID and brings together 40 Pacific government legal personnel
with Judges, Queen’s Counsel and senior members of the legal fraternity of New Zealand and the Pacific region as the teaching faculty. The
programme is designed to provide continuous learning and to improve the practical court advocacy and litigations skills of the participants.
PPDVP and the New Zealand Crown Law Office are excited about the cooperative approach, sharing of knowledge and “leveraging”
between the two parties. “For the first time, six senior Police Prosecutors from the various PPDVP participating countries will be attending
and receiving the benefit of this litigation skills programme,” says Donna Llewell.
As well, PPDVP and the Crown Law Office have worked together in recent months on the development of a domestic violence scenario
in a Pacific context to add a new dimension to the programme case file and materials. PPDVP personnel will also present a general
awareness and interactive session about the challenges of domestic violence in the Pacific region.
5

CMIS Database
Meeting the needs for data, on time and under budget!!
It is not often that this can be said of a new computer
system, but the success of the installation of the Case
Management and Intelligence System (CMIS) into the Pacific
DV offices has been just that.
CMIS, now retagged as "Jade Investigator", was a tried and
trusted system that was used in the Pacific Trans-national
Crime Network. The PPDVP needed a way to record the cases
being reported to the DV offices, and to gather information
on the trends and patterns around domestic violence.
Everyone knew that domestic violence is an under-reported
crime, and that it is often hidden within families, villages
and the community. On top of that, Pacific Police services
have recorded past cases in a variety of ways, for example,
drunken incidents, threats, or "police help required," and this
only added to the lack of good data about the problem.
Jade Software Corporation of Christchurch, New Zealand,
offered their CMIS database as a solution to the need for
better information management and after some minor
modifications to develop a specific DV-related entry screen,
the database was tested, staff were trained, and CMIS was
installed in the Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Niue in April
2008. The database has subsequently been installed in the
Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu. The Cook Islands Police
have extended its use to all offence and incident reporting
in their Police service by the purchase of further copies,
and the Niue Police are also using it for all of their offence
reporting.
CMIS allows for details of all reported cases to be analysed
from a number of views. Not only can the full range of
data be accessed to see trends and areas where special
attention can be paid in repeat cases to prevent further
violence, but detailed analysis can be made of the time of
day, the village where the incident occurred, and a range
of factors can be identified such as alcohol, weapons and
injuries. This allows DV staff to become proactive and to be
on duty when the cases are likely to occur. It also lets them
describe to their bosses what cases they are working on and
to analyse the results, such as how many cases of each type
have been reported, and how many have been referred for
investigation and prosecution.
Programme Manager, Cam Ronald, has seen some excellent
use of the database, with staff extracting data into charts,
creating profiles of families at risk, and targeting repeat
offenders identified through the database before they cause
further harm. "I am especially impressed with how some of
the young police staff have taken to using CMIS – they are
really working the system to get the best use of it," Cam said.
Cam Ronald
Programme Manager
Study Tour – Auckland NZ,
November 2008:(From Cover Page)
The PPDVP has developed a network of Pacific Police officers
who belong to the Pacific Island Chiefs of Police Forum countries
involved in the investigation of domestic violence. In April
2007, representatives from 13 Pacific countries attended a
‘Train the Trainers’ seminar in Auckland, which was organised by
the PPDVP to look at the theory and models behind domestic
violence.
In June 2008, 35 officers representing 12 Pacific Island countries
attended the PPDVP ‘Train the Trainers’ seminar in Tonga that
focused on the investigation of domestic violence. Following the
training, the benefits of Pacific Police officers working together
and learning from each other’s experiences, was further
discussed, resulting in the PPDVP providing an opportunity for
eight officers on short term attachments, to visit New Zealand
and be attached to NZ Police DV and sexual abuse units, to work
with DV co-ordinators and investigators examining NZ police
systems, processes, policy and procedure.
As this magazine goes to print, there are seven Pacific Police
officers from Tonga, Samoa, PNG, Nauru and Vanuatu currently
working in South Auckland on a two-week study tour to looking
at how the New Zealand Police approach/respond to domestic
violence. Officers from PPDVP, Howick, Papakura, Otahuhu,
Manurewa and Waitakere are all involved in facilitating the study
Tour. "All Pacific Police staff will be wearing their country Police
uniform. This study tour will be an ideal opportunity between
New Zealand Police and Pacific Police officers, for 'shared'
learning on how each country approaches this very important
issue and identifies solutions,” says Inspector Malaulau,
The next PPDVP issue will have a post-study tour report.
Pacific Police members on study tour in South Auckland (from left to right)
Eria Morei (Kiribati), Cathy Rimbao (PNG), Seteone Poutele (Tonga),
Alphonse vagone (PNG), Moefetu Iosefo (Samoa), Samuel Jeffrey (Vanuatu),
Sheeva Cook (Nauru)
Photo: John Selkirk, Dominion Post.
6

Participating Countries
Tonga
The Domestic Violence Unit in Nuku’alofa is increasing its Police capacity
in leaps and bounds, even though there have been a few set backs in
the last year; the main one being the resignation of the Officer in Charge
of the unit, ACIP Manu. The Programme wishes Manu well for the future
and thanks him for his excellent work and leadership of the Unit. The
Tonga Police Force has appointed Detective Sergeant Seteone Poutele
to fill that role. I look forward to working with D/S Seteone Poutele on
the PPDVP and wish him well with his appointment.
D/S Seteone Poutele’s appointment marked a place in the Tonga
Police Force history, as it was the first time that a vacancy has been
advertised internally and interested candidates were able to apply for
the position.
The new appointment process coincided with Commander Chris
Kelly commencing his position in Tonga on 15 September 2008. I was
fortunate enough to be “in country” at the time of Commander Kelly’s
arrival in Tonga. Even though Commander Kelly was extremely busy
during his first week “on the job” he made time to see me and I was
able to give him a briefing on the progress of the Domestic Violence
Unit. Commander Kelly assured me that he was fully behind the
future progress and success of the Domestic Violence Unit.
Before D/S Seteone Poutele’s appointment, there were a few months
where Sergeant Peleki and Corporal Hinemoa held the unit together
and ensured that it remained fully functioning, even though they
were understaffed. I would like to acknowledge the hard work and
dedication they have shown and I believe both have the dedication
and are developing the capability of being the Officer in Charge of the
unit in the future.
The past year has flown by and a lot
has been achieved by the Domestic
Violence Unit. The database which
captures vital domestic violence
statistics is up and running and
the unit has recorded over 350
complaints since its opening in June Detective Hayley Ryan
2007. The unit has also concentrated on
developing partnerships with other domestic violence service providers.
Tonga’s Domestic Violence Unit recognises that the problem cannot
be solved by any one agency and we all must work together to make
Tonga a safe place for families to be. In particular, a great relationship
between the Domestic Violence Unit and the National Centre of Women
and Children has developed. Both agencies are meeting weekly to
discuss the week’s reported domestic violence incidents, and ensure
that victims and children are receiving wrap-around support.
In June 2008, Tonga hosted the PPDVP Investigative Training Workshop,
which was attended not only by representatives from each of the
programmes participating countries, but from other nations throughout
the Pacific. Thirteen Pacific Nations Police services were represented
by up to 40 staff at the workshop. Not only did the participants learn a
great number of skills, but it also enabled all Police Officers working in
the Domestic Violence area who attended to get to know each other,
“bounce” ideas off one another and learn from each others experiences.
As I have said earlier in this article the Tonga Domestic Violence Unit
has had its setbacks since the time that the PPDVP commenced in
the Pacific, but I am proud to say that the unit is progressing and it is
doing some great work in keeping victims safe.
Detective Hayley Ryan
Tonga Mentor
Investigative Domestic Violence Curriculum: Tonga June 2008
The investigative domestic violence curriculum was delivered in June 2008 to 35 Police staff from 13 Pacific countries. The venue was
the Council of Churches conference facility which proved to be a huge success. The facilities were just what we wanted says Inspector
Malaulau, PPDVP Regional co-ordinator. We were also able to use some of the rooms upstairs for break out activities and practical
exercises such as crime scene examination and practical attendance at a mock domestic violence incident.
The training course was officially opened by the Police Minister and the
NZ High Commissioner also attended the opening ceremony.
Attendees had a refresher course on the dynamics and the theory
behind the causes of domestic violence before being taken through
the key principles of investigating domestic violence and investigative
techniques and skills. Towards the end of the training, the practical
exercises, where participants put into practice what they had learnt,
provided assessment of the training. Says Malaulau; “It is always hard
for Police officers to perform in front of their peers, but the learning
starts here in front of your peers and if you are going to learn and make
mistakes, then this is the best forum for that.”
(Practical scenario training) - Attending a Domestic Violence incident.
7

Participating Countries
Samoa
The past year has provided many opportunities for the Vaega O Sauaga I Totonu O Aiga, or Samoan Domestic
Violence Team, with the most significant being the opening of their office on 4 July 2008.
There is a lot of pride in the office, which marks the start of a new and improved service that the Samoan
Police are now able to offer to those in the community who suffer from Domestic Violence.
Inspector Karen Smith
Honoured guests included the Police Minister and his deputy;
Her Excellency, The NZ High Commissioner; Reverend Utufua Naseri,
the Acting Commissioner of the Ministry of Police and Prison Services;
the PPDVP Programme Manager and Regional Manager; and the
Wellington District Commander, Superintendent Pieri Munro.
The opening was further highlighted by the provision of a brand new
Hyundai vehicle, specifically for the use of the team. Obtaining the
vehicle was facilitated by the New Zealand Government and the Pacific
Prevention of Domestic Violence Programme. It will have an immediate
impact on the safety of victims, as it enables the team to respond
immediately to reported incidences of domestic violence, 24 hours a
day and 7 days a week.
In June, Constables Misipele and Vaalele represented Samoa at the
Investigative Training Workshop in Tonga and since that date, the team
have delivered a day’s training to each shift of General Policing.
High Commissioner Samoa - Caroline Bilkey, cutting ribbon to new DV vehicle.
Finally, it would not be fair to end this report without mentioning two
extremely dedicated and hardworking members; Constables Vaalele and
Usufono, who continue to stand out by the contributions they make.
Constable Vaalele takes personal responsibility to ensure that all
relationships with NGOs and partner agencies are developed and
maintained to the highest possible standard, and with her excellent
array of skills and attitude, the team have made significant in-roads in
the community they serve.
Constable Usafono stands out for her amazing ability in the uptake
and development of the CMIS database, which was introduced in the
Pacific in April of this year.
Inspector Karen Smith
Samoa Mentor
Police Minister cutting ribbon to new DV offices.
Dignitaries with Cam Ronald at opening DV Unit.
8
Superintendent Pieri Munro (District Commander - Wellington)
on behalf of NZ Police.

Participating Countries
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands Police response to domestic violence continues to be bedded in as ‘business as usual’.
The Cook Islands Policing Plan has domestic violence as Focus Area No.3, which highlights the importance the
Commissioner places on this crime. The focus of the plan is to effectively apply a whole-of-policing approach
to reducing domestic violence. A plan of action, outlining how this will be achieved, is set out within the
Policing Plan. Sgt Rebecca Ellis, the previous Domestic Violence
Coordinator, had played a key role in supporting and monitoring the
police response.
Mr John Robinson
A new development in the Police is the introduction of the CMIS
database, which has the ability to track all offences that come to the
attention of the police. Incidents are recorded on the database by the
Police Communication Centre when they first come to the attention
of the Police. From that moment, all incidents and offences are
recorded and tracked in the database from first call for service to the
outcome at Court. This provides Constable Rangi with a tool to track
all domestic violence incidents, identify repeat offenders and victims,
and build up a picture of domestic violence in the Cook Islands.
Victim information is also shared with Punanga Tauturu, the Women’s
Counselling Centre, thus ensuring a better response to victim needs.
Constable Rangi and Sgt Ellis will be working together closely, Sgt Ellis
is also a member of the Management Board of Punanga Tauturu so is
well positioned to identify and address any issues that may arise from
a victim’s perspective. This database has the potential to provide an
intelligence-led Police response to domestic violence.
This approach is still ‘work in progress’ and training is an essential part
of building competency for police and community organisations.
The PRPI training programme is very helpful in this area. Training was
held recently for police officers to update their knowledge and
skill in sexual abuse cases. Twenty one front line and prosecution
staff attended the training that focused on investigating this crime.
The Cook Islands Forensic Police officer was also on hand to support
the training. An important part of the training was how to support
victims as they negotiated the Police investigation and Court
processes. While the topic was sexual abuse, the issues of domestic
violence were also covered, as aspects of investigating the crimes
are similar. Part of this workshop included training for the doctors
and nurses from the main hospital on Rarotonga, staff from Internal
Affairs, and Punanga Tauturu. Issues of cooperation and coordination
between agencies were discussed and a working party was
considered to address solutions to these issues.
John Robinson with new DV Unit O/C Pauline Rangi.
Trying out new speed radar.
PPDVP deployments support this activity as a whole-of-policing and
community response to domestic violence. Education and training
in the outer islands has been on the back burner this year, but we will
renew our focus on this next deployment with planned sessions for
the island of Atiu.
Mr John Robinson
Cook Islands Mentor
John with members of Punaga Tauturu (NGO).
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Participating Countries
Kiribati
A Wife’s Perspective
Apprehensive but excited was the best way to describe Jo’s feelings
as she prepared to join Jim in Kiribati for the final week of his
deployment. Despite having seen many pictures of Jim’s previous
trips to Kiribati, she had no idea of what to expect or how she
could have input. By the time she had got their two boys (aged 14
and 16 years), organised, the food, the directions and timetable,
grandma and neighbours to check on the boys, ensure that the
five acres with sheep, dogs and cat were ok, she was ready to leave!
This is her account:
“Bonriki International Airport, Kiribati was amazing; the heat just
hit you like a blast from a massive blow heater. Walking across the
tarmac, I was scanning all these wonderful smiling faces peering
through the wire fence, hoping to see Jim standing there and
having this awful feeling because I couldn’t see him. The airport is far
from modern, just a large concrete shed to the side of the runway.
Believe me, what a feeling of relief when I saw Jim standing inside
waiting to meet me. My bags soon appeared on the concrete floor in
a big pile, then on through immigration, which is a table in the middle
of the shed and that’s it! No fuss – welcome to Kiribati! My first stop
in Kiribati was at the supermarket to stock up on biscuits and Milo for
the workshop the next day. Next stop Mary’s Motel, Jim’s home away
from home. The motel was basic, but clean and tidy and had all we
needed. I was grateful for the hot shower and the air conditioning.
The cleaners had been in while Jim was picking me up and the bed
was made with clean sheets and what made me smile was the towels
had been shaped into two kissing snakes holding a flower between
their lips; I could see the cleaners having a wee giggle as they made
them. I looked forward every day to seeing what they made next;
kissing swans, a Turtle, a hand bag with flowers in it – they were great!
Jo with children from school for the disabled.
I spent the next day at the
community workshop that Jim
was running. The participants
were mostly women from different
organisations in Kiribati, but
included four men and three Police
officers. Unfortunately the power Senior Sergeant James Sole
was out when we got there; a generator
was soon found so the workshop could get started. They were all
so welcoming and treated me like royalty. I believe they found it
interesting to see how Jim and I communicated and worked together.
Jim would involve me in the conversations and I was able to give
feedback to him as to whether the message was getting through and
a woman’s take on things. I was extremely proud of the respect that
my husband showed them personally, and their culture, and of the
great work he was doing.
Jim’s wife (Jo Sole) with Inspector Titan Toakai.
I spent the next two days helping at the School for Disabled. I was
made very welcome and I was grateful that I could help. Resources
are limited but the staff are wonderful and do the best that they
can with what they have. They have sixty children registered there
and about 12 staff members; some are teachers and some teacher
aids. The children are there from 9am to 2pm and have a range of
disabilities: deaf, blind, and intellectually and physically disabled.
The staff involve them in a range of activities to motivate and
encourage communication and extend them to their individual
capabilities. Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces when they
accomplish something we take for granted was a real reality check.
The closing of the community workshop was a real celebration
and something the participants take great pride in. They were each
awarded a certificate that I had the opportunity to hand out, and it
was wonderful to see how proud they were. They appoint a master
of ceremonies and basically they are the boss. The MC was a petite
Catholic Nun with a bubbly personality and she relished in her
position, making them all get up and dance with their certificates.
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We had a wonderful feast and we all had to get up and dance to celebrate the
end of the workshop. The Nuns who run the Women’s Crisis Centre invited us
for lunch the next day and we had a lovely time there. They baked us a cake,
which we had to officially cut and they had great pride in their centre and what
they were accomplishing. It was unfortunate that Sister Meretina was unwell
and unable to be there. After lunch we visited the MBM village and were
treated to a performance in their Maneaba of local dancing, and given another
feast of local food. They are very serious about preventing domestic violence in
their village and are making a real difference. It’s great to see that change can
happen and hopefully their message will spread into neighbouring villages.
Jim and Jo at community meeting.
Jo at the school.
We attended two functions: at the NZ High Commissioner’s residence and at
the Australian High Commissioner’s residence, where I met an amazing array
of people from various parts of the world, all with the same agenda of making
Kiribati a better place for the Kiribati people. I was extremely proud to hear
from many people what a great job my husband was doing and to see the
respect shown to him. My trip to Kiribati came to a close far too early, so after
a wonderful lunch at the Alcohol Anonymous and Family Recovery Centre run
by Sister Theresa, it was off to the airport for start of our journey home.
I was apprehensive about going to Kiribati and very conscious of not wanting
to offend anybody or any customs. I was hesitant to ask many of the questions
I would have liked to, but the Kiribati people that I met were full of smiles
and humour and made me so very welcome. I wish now that I had gone for
longer than 6 days, so that I could have experienced more and been able to
help more. It will be so much easier when Jim goes back there in the future
as I can now visualise where he is and understand his desire to improve the
safety of these wonderful people. I’m so glad that I was given the opportunity
to experience their culture and hope to return there in the future, but for now
I will have fond memories of the people I met in Kiribati.”
Jo James-Sole
Wife of Kiribati Mentor, Senior Sergeant James-Sole
Declaration
The PICP Declaration on Domestic Violence is proving to be a “living document.”
The commitment made by the 20 Chiefs of Police at Wellington in October 2007
has been produced as an A3 size poster and signed copies of the Declaration
have been provided to all of the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police members.
Framed copies hang in the various domestic violence prevention offices around
the region. A perhaps unforeseen positive spin-off to the Declaration has been
the enthusiasm shown by the various NGO’s and agencies working against
domestic violence that have seen the declaration as their mandate to engage
the local Chief of Police around domestic violence. Many a Pacific Chief of Police
has received a knock at their door by community groups holding a copy of the
declaration.
The Declaration is also used as a key item in all of the presentations and meetings
we attend for the PPDVP. The recent litigation skills workshop in Vanuatu, and
pre-deployment courses for New Zealand Police members before they serve
overseas, are examples of how widely it is being applied.
Superintendent Togimanu Annandale (Executive Director -
Pacific Island Chief Police (PICP) with Cam Ronald
acknowledging the significance of the Declaration.
This is a commitment by two parties to work together against domestic violence. The Chiefs of Police have made their commitment in
writing and they now look to the PPDVP to assist them and to meet their country needs. The request from the Micronesian countries for
assistance from the programme is an example and this is one which the PPDVP will scope and work for a solution in the new year.
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Regional Advisory Committee (RAC)
The RAC met in April and again in October. The RAC comprises representatives from the PRPI, FWCC, UNIFEM, PICP and NZ Police and RRRT, as well
as programme staff, have become an effective forum for exchanging their knowledge and their views; ensuring that best practice is applied in the
PPDVP; and for carrying the DV message across the region through their own activities and groups.
In April the PRPI identified the opportunity for the PPDVP to join of a series of workshops on forensic medical activities and training for medical staff
to support victims of violence. The workshop in the Cook Islands was a valuable one, and the PPDVP looks forward to continuing this project.
At each RAC meeting one of the countries where the PPDVP is active attends as an observer. In April the members heard from Tuvalu and in October
they heard from the Samoa Police on their DV activities. They were especially interested in the high workload carried by the Samoa DV unit, with
about 35 cases dealt with each month, and to learn that over 80% of reported cases are being carried through to investigation or prosecution.
At the RAC meeting October 2008 (from left back row): Mark Ramsden, Edwina Kotoisuva, Cam Ronald, Doug McCaffery, Stuart Wildon, Dave Potaka, Andrew Punga.
(front row) Ranmali Fernando, Sandra Bernklau, Sally Cobb, Kim Woon-Bloomfield, Tia Taui.
PPDVP
HELPING PREVENT
VIOLENCE IN THE PACIFIC
AIMS TO:
The Pacific Prevention of
Domestic Violence Programme
(PPDVP) is a fi ve year commitment
by NZAID, the New Zealand
Police, and the Pacifi c Islands
Chief of Police (PICP) focused on
reducing the incidence of domestic
violence in the Pacifi c.
If you would like to know more
about the PPDVP go to www.
police.govt.nz/service/overseas
or call +64 4 470 7213
increase police capacity across the region to prevent and respond effectively to
domestic violence
increase the police capacity to respond effectively in the participating countries of
Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati
develop and maintain effective partnerships between the Police and NGOs
support the development of appropriate legislation on domestic violence and training
for the judiciary and legal profession
support development of appropriate national policy on domestic violence and
the inclusion of appropriate actions National Development Plans of participating
countries.
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