Two additional New Zealand Police advisers are expected to arrive in Samoa in November as both countries continue efforts to strengthen policing capabilities and address the growing threat of transnational organised crime in the Pacific.
The Samoa–New Zealand Policing Programme has completed its first annual Executive Steering Committee meeting, bringing together senior police officials and government representatives from both countries to review progress and agree on priorities for the next stage of implementation.
The meeting focused on areas identified by Samoa Police, including leadership development, operational policing capabilities, organisational resilience and improvements to the systems supporting police services.
The arrival of two additional New Zealand Police advisers next month will increase the number of advisers based in Samoa to five. Their work forms part of a broader partnership involving Samoa Police, New Zealand Police and New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The committee also received updates on the Pacific Detector Dog Programme and the New Zealand Transnational Crime Unit. Both initiatives support cooperation between police and customs authorities in detecting and disrupting criminal activity at Samoa’s borders and within the country.
New Zealand High Commissioner to Samoa, HE Si’alei van Toor, attended the meeting alongside a New Zealand Police delegation led by Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson.
Samoa’s delegation was led by Acting Police Commissioner Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga, while Inspector Semisi James “Jimmy” Patea represented the policing programme as Team Leader.
Assistant Commissioner Johnson acknowledged the cooperation received from Samoa’s law enforcement agencies and other organisations involved in the programme.
“The positive start to the Programme reflects the strong relationships we are building,” Johnson said.
He also thanked Samoa Police, Prisons and Corrections Service, the Office of the Attorney General, the Australian Federal Police and other partner agencies for their support in establishing the partnership.
Acting Commissioner Leiataua welcomed the continued cooperation, saying the programme would provide opportunities for both police organisations to learn from one another and improve the delivery of policing services.
“We will continue to strengthen and enhance our partnership with New Zealand Police across all areas of mutual cooperation,” Leiataua said.
He identified transnational organised crime as a growing concern requiring closer cooperation among Pacific law enforcement agencies.
“With the growing threat of transnational organised crime across the Pacific, it is essential that we stand together and work collaboratively with our Pacific partners to address these shared challenges and maintain the safety and security of our region,” he said.
The policing programme is intended to support Samoa’s ability to prevent crime, strengthen public safety and develop effective community-centred police services.
The expansion of the New Zealand advisory team represents the next stage of implementation, with work continuing under priorities established by Samoa Police and endorsed through the programme’s joint governance arrangements.
