9 Sep 2010

Tonga expands contacts with community policing

12:13 pm on 9 September 2010

Tonga police say they hope their recently opened community policing station in Vaini will make them more approachable to the community.

The new station is the first to be built under a Tonga Police Redevelopment Programme, which is supported by New Zealand and Australia.

The Police Commander Chris Kelley says the building has three extra officers and is permanently staffed.

He says the new building is part of the programme's aim to engage more with communities.

"Just simply make police environment more user friendly and make it easier for people to come to the police station, less threatening, all those sorts of things. And then, put police resources more out into the community, where they should be, rather than say in offices or desks and headquarters or other places."

Tonga's police Commander Chris Kelley.