In the past couple of weeks, much has been written about perceived security threats at home and the government’s announced plans to widen its circle of partners with a primary aim of improving the technical needs, equipment requirements, and operational effectiveness of the police service in meeting and preventing the kind of public order disturbances that over two decades has seen rioting and serious incidence of public disorder costing property losses, injuries, regrettable fatalities, economic decline and damage to the reputation of the country and the police service’s effectiveness in responding to public order incidences.
Nothing I have observed lately has been mentioned about the manner in which the police go about obtaining intelligence covertly, or otherwise, assessing intelligence and putting intelligence to work in preparing operational planning leading to strategic deployment of personnel when faced with incidents of public order or deciding on tactics based on crowd physiology, an important factor and a subject matter I have previously written about.
It is hoped future police training relating to public order maintenance will concentrate on better intelligence capabilities and assessments as well as a deeper knowledge of crowd physiology, whoever it is decided will assume future policy reforms.
A primary concern when considering all the factors that combine to impact public order incidences is the one of unemployment and in turn, lack of income, frustration, and youth dissatisfaction over lack of jobs and training opportunities at home that could lead to gainful work.
The Rural Training Centres do outstanding work, in my view, in teaching youths outside the formal education field in crafts in woodworking and metal crafts but at the end of training the RTC graduates, apprentices, might be a better tern for them, find little or no work in the absence still of down streaming initiatives related to forestry products and the practical use of timber in manufacturing furniture items or work in any meaningful housing industry to-date
By contrast, taking the situation in New Zealand, as an example, trade training is booming with thousands of people said to be signing up for apprenticeships since the Covid pandemic first began
NZ industry leaders are saying apprentice numbers are spiking in industries associated with home building.
The electrical industry in NZ is also seeing large numbers of apprentices being taken on.
Would it be that such opportunities existed in the Solomon Islands, then the concerns over security as visualized today might well be greatly minimized and mitigated without the need for a police service being issued with weaponry that, to me, smacks against the principles of minimum force in law enforcement.
The Australian Prime Minister has called for a General Election next month saying if returned, the government would address the recently expressed concerns of the smaller Pacific countries.
In respect of the Solomon Islands, if the incumbent Australian Federal government is returned, I wonder how the SIG might be assisted with job creation and work opportunities, concerns that could largely reduce threats to national security, if coupled with the needed greater political harmony that lies within the province of the national government.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
