RVS Tukoro, Vanuatu's Police Patrol Boat

The Vanuatu Police Force ( bi, Ni-Vanuatu Polis; VPF) is the national law enforcement of

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

. The VPF is headquartered in

Port Vila Port Vila (french: Port-Vila), or simply Vila (; french: Vila; bi, Vila ), is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. It is located on the island of Efate. Its population in the last census (2009) was 44,040, an increase of 35% on the pr ...

and has two specialised arms: a small para-military force, the Vanuatu Mobile Force, and a maritime force, the Vanuatu Police Maritime Wing.

Organisation

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Arthur Coulton of the Vanuatu Mobile Force was sworn in as the acting police commissioner in 2002. In a 2006 interview Police Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel Lui Patu Navoko voiced support for the idea that Vanuatu would benefit from having a National Security Council. Lieutenant

Joshua Bong Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...

was appointed to a four-year term as police commissioner, on 29 September 2009, replacing Lui Patu Navoko. Bong was terminated in October 2012 by President

Iolu Abil Iolu Johnson Abil (born 17 February 1942) is a Vanuatuan politician. He was elected and sworn in as the president of Vanuatu on 2 September 2009. Biography Personal life Abbil is from Tanna island, which is located in Vanuatu's southernmost Ta ...

. Arthur Caulton, his deputy, was announced as interim commissioner.

Maritime wing

The Vanuatu Police Maritime Wing currently operates a single

Guardian-class patrol boat The Guardian-class patrol boats are a class of small patrol vessels designed and built in Australia and provided to small South Pacific Ocean countries as part of the Australian Government's Pacific Maritime Security Program. The class is desi ...

, RVS ''Takuare'', as well as a variety of small craft including the Australian supplied RVS Mataweli. The Maritime wing primarily operates from RVS Mala outside of Port Vila, an Australian funded base which has a large wharf able to host both Australian and Ni-Vanuatu vessels.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-13/closer-security-ties-flagged-with-vanuatu-as-australia-wrestles-/101764052 Until 2021 the wing operated a single , RVS Tukoro.

History

Vanuatu has provided police officers to the

Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), also known as Operation Helpem Fren, Operation Anode and Operation Rata (by New Zealand), was created in 2003 in response to a request for international aid by the Governor-General of ...

since July 2003. Ni-Vanuatu police officer Benson Samuels is contingent commander of the ni-Vanuatu police serving as part of RAMSI's Participating Police Force (PPF).

Ranks

References

External links