Introduction

The South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference (SPCPC) was founded in 1970 to link Police Commissioners and Chiefs of Police in island states, but in recent years the network has expended to cover 21 countries and territories in the region, and was renamed as the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) in 2004.

Government sources

Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) website

“[PICP is] an organisation of 21 member countries and territories in the Pacific which aims to share information, discuss issues, devise and promote strategies on policing in the Pacific Islands. A full meeting of the organisation is conducted yearly, with executive groups and project teams continuing the work throughout the year with the support of a full time secretariat. The Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police was formerly known as the South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference, but the name was changed in April 2005 in order to reflect the full membership of the organisation. The change in name also reflects the full-time nature of the organisation and its secretariat; it no longer being an organisation that in its origins only met once a year by way of an annual meeting.”

Women in policing in the Pacific: ‘our journey’, Lautoa Faletau (Assistant Police Commander, Tonga Police Force), Fourth Australasian women and policing conference, Darwin, 21-24 August 2005

“This presentation focuses on [women in policing in ] countries who are members of the peak police organisation in the region the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police or (PICP). Founded in 1970 as the South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference (SPCPC), the organisation was renamed last year to better reflect its expanded pan-pacific membership. Membership is open to national police services of Pacific countries and territories. The current 21 members range from the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands in the North, New Zealand in the South, French Polynesia to the East and the Republic of Palau to the West and represent more than 75,000 serving officers.

“Although New Zealand and Australia are members of the PICP they have been deliberately excluded from this presentation with the focus on the 19 small island nations which represents more than 12,000 police officers of which 10% or approximately 1,200 are women. The PICP have a Women’s Advisory Network … The PICP WAN is an indication of the growing support and priority level that women’s issues have been afforded by the Chiefs today.”

South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference in Tonga, AFP Media Release, 29 August 2004

“Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Mick Keelty will hand over the role of chair when the South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference gets underway in the Kingdom of Tonga tomorrow.”

Working Group on Border Management Issues, Progress under implementing Pacific Plan objectives, Pacific Plan, Item 13.3

“The Working Group on Border Management Issues (WGBMI) is comprised of the Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO), Pacific Immigration Directors Conference (PI DC), Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP), Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) – Maritime Programme and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. The WGBMI has developed terms of reference and identified issues impeding the capacity of law and border agencies to work collaboratively and efficiently. The Group developed a Strategic Framework document in which five issues were identified as fundamental to border management: legislation, communication, infrastructure, capacity development and governance.”