BY NED GAGAHE

Four officers – three from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and one from Correctional Services Solomon Islands (CSSI) – recently completed a two-week professional development seminar in Beijing, China.

The delegation split into two groups, with media officers attending a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) journalism seminar while crime prevention specialists participated in a poverty reduction workshop.

In a statement RSIPF National Crime Prevention Director Inspector Steve Sunaone said the poverty seminar provided crucial insights.

“We can’t effectively fight crime without addressing poverty,” he said.

“This training helps us better support communities through stakeholder collaboration.”

Sunaone emphasised that poverty reduction requires a united approach involving government, NGOs, churches, businesses and international partners.

“When we eliminate poverty, we’ll see crime rates drop significantly.”

Meanwhile, CSSI Media Officer Staff Sergeant Davidson Ledi described the media seminar as “extremely valuable” for improving his reporting skills.

The participants visited major Chinese media outlets including China Daily newspaper and a Beijing television station during their study tour.

“I’m grateful to the China Police Liaison Team and Chinese Embassy for organising this opportunity,” Ledi said.

The training forms part of ongoing cooperation between Solomon Islands and China in security and media development sectors.

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