Thrilled and honoured were the emotions experienced by Tonga Police Detective Acting Superintendent Halatoa Tāufa as he received a regional prestigious police award.
Tāufa received the recognition for Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) Chair Award 2019 for his leadership and commitment as the Head of the Police Drug Enforcement Taskforce, during the 48th PICP conference.
It was held in American Samoa from the 21 – 23 August 2019.
He is a member of Tonga police force for 19 years.
His father Mōleni Tāufa was a former prison guard chief before he retired from the job.
Halatoa said the award has a significant contribution to the efforts police play on the region’s and Tonga’s “war on drugs.”
This is the second time that Tonga Police has been awarded with the PICP Chair Award, with the first award presented to Acting Chief Superintendent Tevita Vailea in 2016.
Since the launch of the Drug Enforcement Taskforce in April 2018, police have arrested 270 people to date with the youngest arrest a 13-year-old youth, seized 33.8 kilograms of methamphetamine as well as other illicit drugs and 45 illegally imported firearms, Police Commissioner Stephen Caldwell said.
The high rate of drugs arrest by the Drug Enforcement Taskforce has had a significant impact on serious crimes in Tonga. A reduction in homicide from 10 last year to 1 this year, robberies from 22 in 2018 to 1, housebreaking from 396 to 153 and a decrease in road fatalities from 21 in 2018 to only 3 this year.
Preventing drug harm within the communities was the focus of the 2019 PICP Conference that was attended by the Commissioner Caldwell and accompanied by Superintendent Ashley Fua and Detective Acting Superintendent Tāufa.
Tonga Police was a key presenter, presenting its journey in combating illicit drugs, the challenges, policy response and changing policing approach in moving forward.
The PICP focus for this year’s conference is in line with the Tonga Police strategy flowing from the Police Commissioner’s priority, to strengthen its partnership with communities through education and awareness campaign in the fight against illicit drugs.
“We understand the importance of working together as a community to ensure the safety of everyone. One way to improve this community partnership is allowing communities to take ownership of existing security issues and working together to come up with viable solutions.”
“During the conference it was noted that the Pacific region has seen an increase in the shipment of both methamphetamine and cocaine. For transit countries the risk of a local user market developing is very high with some countries recording increase in use and harm. To address this problem the Pacific Chiefs are committed to cross jurisdictional co-operation and working together.”
Detective Halatoa said he was thrilled and honoured to receive the award. He said he has been picked among candidates from 21 countries in the Pacific region.
“Thanks for the support I have from the Ministry and the prayers the country has made,” he told Kaniva news.
