Three new Police Officers were sworn in last week. Two of them are the first non-Niuean citizens to be recruited to the Niue Police, one is a Fijian man, and a young woman of Samoan American heritage. The third new officer is also a young woman of Niuean and Tongan descent, increasing the number of female police officers in Niue from three to five.
Niue’s Chief of Police Timothy Wilson told BCN news that this recruitment is a step towards a more diverse Police force where officers are able to communicate and have cultural relevance with the minority communities on the island.
““It’s great to have a police force that reflects the type of community we have so the more minority groups we have, it will be good to have officers representing those communities as well”.
The gathering at the Niue Police and Disaster Management Officer Joint operations centre was attended by the Premier Dalton Tagelagi who is also the Minister of Police.
The recruits Leilani Lui-Ikiua, Simi Wainiqolo, and Jazzlyn Buckner Poumale took their oath as Police officers before the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission Mrs. Ida Talagi-Hekesi, and witnessed by their families and friends.
Chief Wilson says that “I would hope that as the Police will be able to employ more people that are more representative of the community that lives here. We have Semi who is hired, there is a large Fijian community here in Niue so it’s great to see a Fijian here that can communicate and have the cultural relevance with that community which is the same with our officers that have Tongan and Samoan heritage.”
Premier Tagelagi in his speech reminded the new Officers of their responsibility to keep the people of Niue safe and not to abuse their authority as Police Officers.
The Niue Police force is mainly made up of Niuean officers but now includes officers with Samoan, Tongan, and Fijian heritage led by an American Chief of Police.