Law enforcement in Samoa
Encyclopedia
Samoa
has no standing army
, as defense
is the responsibility
of New Zealand
. However, Samoa does have a unitary national police
force, the Samoa Police Service.
The Samoa Police Service operates the Pacific-class patrol boat
Nafanua. It was provided to Samoa by the Australian Government
as part of the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. Samoa took delivery in March 1988. It underwent a $T5.5 million refit in Australia in December 2004. Between 1988 and 2004, the Nafanua sailed a total of 118000 nautical miles (218,536 km), performed over 12,000 hours of fisheries patrol and has been involved in the search and rescue of over 400 people.
Samoa has provided police officers to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands since July 2003. Samoan Police officer Laulala Siitia is contingent commander of the Samoan police serving as part of RAMSI's Participating Police Force (PPF). Samoa's police force also served in East Timor
as part of a United Nations
peacekeeping
effort to maintain peace and security in the region in 2001.
Australia
will build a new police headquarters in the Samoan capital Apia, as part of a major initiative to strengthen the Samoa Police Service.
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
has no standing army
Military of Samoa
Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces; informal defense ties exist with New Zealand, which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship.-External links:*...
, as defense
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
is the responsibility
Moral responsibility
Moral responsibility usually refers to the idea that a person has moral obligations in certain situations. Disobeying moral obligations, then, becomes grounds for justified punishment. Deciding what justifies punishment, if anything, is a principle concern of ethics.People who have moral...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. However, Samoa does have a unitary national police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
force, the Samoa Police Service.
The Samoa Police Service operates the Pacific-class patrol boat
Pacific class patrol boat
The Pacific class is a class of 22 patrol boats built by Australia and donated to twelve South Pacific countries. Constructed from 1985 to 1997 and operated by militaries, coast guards or police forces of the twelve island nations, these boats are supported by the Pacific Patrol Boat Program...
Nafanua. It was provided to Samoa by the Australian Government
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as part of the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. Samoa took delivery in March 1988. It underwent a $T5.5 million refit in Australia in December 2004. Between 1988 and 2004, the Nafanua sailed a total of 118000 nautical miles (218,536 km), performed over 12,000 hours of fisheries patrol and has been involved in the search and rescue of over 400 people.
Samoa has provided police officers to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands since July 2003. Samoan Police officer Laulala Siitia is contingent commander of the Samoan police serving as part of RAMSI's Participating Police Force (PPF). Samoa's police force also served in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
as part of a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
effort to maintain peace and security in the region in 2001.
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
will build a new police headquarters in the Samoan capital Apia, as part of a major initiative to strengthen the Samoa Police Service.
External links
- http://www.samoa.co.uk/20040520-pol-pr.html
- http://www.ramsi.org/node/27
- http://jawsamoa.blogspot.com/2006/09/preferential-treatment-of-media-by.html
- http://www.ausaid.gov.au/media/release.cfm?BC=Media&ID=2796_9831_8783_4372_1009
- http://www.house.gov/list/press/as00_faleomavaega/etimor830.html
- http://www.isiservicescorp.com/mjcpatch.html