myAIPMCommissioners and officials from across Australia and the Pacific region have come together to officially open the Pacific Faculty of Policing (PFP) in Manly.
The PFP is the joint initiative of the Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM) and the AFP, receiving $12.1 million in Commonwealth funding over four years to enhance the leadership abilities of senior police throughout the Pacific region. Strengthening police leadership will allow officers in 21 island nations to better manage current and emerging security threats, strengthen ties and build cross-border cooperation and work towards a more united approach to fighting crime.
The PFP’s official opening ceremony on Tuesday welcomed dignitaries including AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw, Fiji Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho, New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush, Acting Commissioner Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Ian Bara, Acting Commissioner Iven Notte, Nauru Police Force, Acting Commissioner John Strickland, Cook Islands Police, AFP Chief Learning Officer Warwick Jones and Acting AIPM Executive Director Stuart Bartels. Traditional bula shirts were worn on the day to celebrate the culture of our regional neighbours and to recognise the Faculty’s focus on delivering programs that are developed by the Pacific, and for the Pacific.
PFP programs are already well underway, with over 100 participants from 12 Pacific nations attending programs during 2019, while some 80 senior executives received bespoke and tailored in country training in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. To support gender equality in the region, the PFP also sponsored 23 female officers to attend the Australasian Council of Women and Policing (ACWAP) Conference in Canberra last year.
The pace of program delivery is set to increase in 2020 and beyond. Currently, almost 50 participants are enrolled in graduate studies at the AIPM, while a further 150 participants from 13 countries will take part in other professional development programs in Manly and in country this year.
PFP Director Amanda McCormick says the support of Pacific nations for the initiative has been exceptional.
“ The Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police endorsement of our programs is a strong indicator of the high quality and esteemed regard the Faculty, AFP and AIPM is held in across the Pacific region. Demand for positions on our current Faculty programs has been overwhelming and we are looking for additional opportunities to support the chiefs to meet leadership needs across the Pacific region”, Detective Superintendent McCormick said.
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