A retired US Air Force major Le'i Sonny Thompson has been confirmed as American Samoa's new Commissioner of Public Safety.
American Samoa Public Safety Commissioner Le'i Sonny Thompson, with Governor Lolo Malaga in cap Photo: RNZI/Monica Miller
Le'i received unanimous approval in the Senate after being approved by the House of Representatives.
He had been director of Human Resources in the last four years.
During his confirmation hearings, he was asked for his opinion on arming police officers,
Le'i advised that this should be approached cautiously, taking into account the peaceful nature of Samoans and the use of traditional means to settle disputes.
He said it was true that the way of life has changed dramatically, the population had increased and prohibited weapons had made their way into the territory,
He suggested however that more review is needed on the notion of arming police officers.
He favoured setting up a special unit with specially trained officers to respond to incidents of a serious nature.
Four years ago, then commissioner William Haleck, a retired agent of the US Drug Enforcement Agency, made a push to arm the police force.
He received weapons which were gifted by the Honolulu Police Department , and initiated weapons training for police.
However, after two years, he resigned and his plan to arm the police died.
