We will not be deterred: PRT

By Mike Puia

OFFICER in charge of the Police Response Team (PRT) of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, Edwin Sevoa, says they will not be deterred by any act of aggression by communities.

Mr Sevoa uttered these sentiments while speaking at a reconciliation ceremony between representatives of the RSIPF and Koa Hill-Saua community at the central police station yesterday.

The reconciliation is in relation to an attack on members of the PRT while they were conducting a raid in the community last Friday evening.

Police raided and confiscated illegal alcohol (kwaso) and equipment used to manufacture them.

Youths in the community responded by pelting members of the team with stones, resulting in two officers being injured.

Leaders of the community voluntarily came out and asked the RSIPF to give their community an opportunity to give traditional shell money to the injured officers and to the PRT to compensate them for profane words used by the youths during the stoning.

The request was accepted by the Provincial Police Commander for Honiara City, resulting in the reconciliation.

The police all-black leader said his team was responding to a crime at Koa Hill-Saua community but was met with resistance from youths of the community.

“We were responding to a crime. Production of kawso is illegal and we cannot expect crime to continue,” Seova said.

He said they are doing similar operations everywhere in the country.

He said they will continue to do what they are doing and will not be deterred by any aggressive act.

Sevoa said members of his team are mixed race and they do not hate anyone in the communities.

“We are here to help. Communities need to work with the police to ensure there are partnerships in place,” Sevoa said.

He said communities must not take members of the PRT wrong because they are only dealing with illegal issues.

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