It is also of great importance for every police outpost to have the capacity to effectively deal with family
violence, given the majority of the population live in rural areas. It was highlighted to the Inquiry that in
Vanuatu each police station has a family violence unit, despite having more police stations than Samoa.52
A similar strong focus on family violence within the police outposts here would be a positive step to
effectively protect victims of family violence consistently and strengthen public confidence.
The final piece of the police jigsaw in being able to effectively prevent and protect against family violence
is through increased community policing. The Inquiry found that there has been an underinvestment in
police recruits and also a perception that community policing has been lost in recent years. That is not to
say that it does not exist at all and the Faleolo outpost reported the relationship building programmes
they carry out with the villages, which involves talking about particular cases and gaining cooperation to
bring people to justice. It is this type of community policing which should be expanded and
institutionalized. The police need to be more visible in communities and adopt an approach that once
again is based on talanoa. Once the police have the respect of the community, victims will feel confident
in being able to report the crimes against them and the police will enjoy a more fruitful and productive
dialogue in return.
RECOMMENDATION 25: Increase the capacity of the Police service to be able to
carry out its role as the primary protection agency for victims of family violence.
Zero tolerance approach adopted throughout the police force.
Increased community policing.
Family Safety training for all new recruits and regular refresher courses for
ALL officers (with greater focus in training outpost officers), covering:
a) Gender stereotypes, bias and role in family violence;
b) The role of power and control and the cycle of violence;
c) Causes and impacts of family violence in Samoa;
d) Dealing with victims and perpetrators of family violence;
e) Services and referral systems for victims and perpetrators of
violence (e.g. filing protection orders etc.);
f) Legislative framework;
g) International human rights standards;
h) Documentation of family violence.
15.2.2 Health
INQUIRY FINDING 36: The National Health Services is lacking the resources and
knowledge to effectively screen for victims of family violence and there is no
allied health system for victims to be referred to. Harmful attitudes and
52
Justice Clarence Nelson’s testimony, Inquiry public hearings.
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