Progress continues at pace on the landmark Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Expansion Partnership, with both Governments driving the initiative forward.
In the last month, Hon John Tuhaika Jr, Minister of Police, National Security and Correctional Services and Australian High Commissioner Jeff Roach signed the foundational Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the brand new Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Academy, while Solomon Islands and Australian officials agreed to a design for the building, and progressed a plan for a package of support for provincial policing infrastructure across all nine of Solomon Islands’ provinces.
“The new Police Academy is a strategic investment in Solomon Islands’ future generations,” Minister Tuhaika said at the MOU signing ceremony, “and will promote improved professional standards, institutional excellence, governance and systems in the RSIPF.”
“These projects are strategic investments that will further strengthen policing services for generations to come,” he said.
Jeff Roach, Australia’s High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, thanked Minister Tuhaika for his strong backing for the Partnership, and reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to supporting the RSIPF through a multi‑year program underpinned by strong foundations.
“The RSIPF Expansion Partnership is built on decades of uniformed and non-uniformed engagement between Australia and Solomon Islands,” High Commissioner Roach said. “It is a testament to Minister Tuhaika and his team’s energy and enthusiasm that many of the Partnership’s key initiatives are now beginning to take shape.”
“The MOU signing in particular represents another step in the journey Solomon Islands has been on to develop its sovereign policing capabilities – both for its own national security, and as a key contributor to regional security in the Pacific,” High Commissioner Roach said.
The new Police Academy, to be constructed on a site chosen by the Solomon Islands Government in February 2026 at Rove Police Headquarters Precinct, is the flagship project and major investment of the RSIPF Expansion Partnership. The
Partnership is a joint initiative supporting Solomon Islands’ vision for a strong, self-reliant and enduring security capability, and improved police performance in its service of the Solomon Islands community.
This Academy complements the two countries’ shared determination to make the Blue Pacific secure and prosperous. Guided by Solomon Islands’ priorities, the partnership combines Australian investment with the expertise of officials from both countries to deliver lasting improvements in policing infrastructure and capability.
