Pacific police chief marks anniversary of Brisbane training hub

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Federal Police is marking one year since opening a major training centre in Queensland for their Pacific counterparts. It's a key milestone for the Pacific Policing Initiative and designed to bolster local forces while making it harder for China to make inroads in the region.

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00:00A demonstration of intent.

00:07Police from across the Pacific practicing riot control.

00:11It's the Pacific looking after itself and doing it as a family and doing it together.

00:16The former COVID quarantine centre transformed into a sprawling training hub for police across the region

00:22and now celebrating one year of operation, a key facility for police forces grappling with serious problems

00:29like a surge in drug smuggling in the Pacific.

00:33Different jurisdictions cannot fight it alone, that's a fact.

00:36We need to stay together, stay connected, collaborate, share the resources, the experience that we have

00:43and this hub is providing that for us.

00:46Officers trained here have already been sent to help deal with natural disasters and major events in the Pacific

00:52through the PPSG or Pacific Support Group.

00:56And in the future they could also be sent to help bring civil unrest under control.

01:02It would be based on the assessment and of course on advice which I would be giving to my government.

01:11The PPSG would definitely be an option.

01:13The government's sharpest focus is on giving Pacific police the skills and resources they need.

01:18But this is also about geopolitics.

01:21China is emerging as a police training partner in countries like Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

01:27and by stepping up Australia hopes it will stop Beijing from getting a permanent foothold.

01:34But at least publicly Australia's top cop would rather focus on what they're offering, not what they're trying to stop.

01:42Now more than ever is the time that we need to be all stepping up as a united voice and a united family to keep our region safe.

01:50In uncertain times that unity is priceless.

01:54The PPSG is priceless.

01:55The PPSG is priceless.

01:56The PPSG is priceless.

01:57The PPSG is priceless.

01:58The PPSG is priceless.

01:59The PPSG is priceless.

02:00The PPSG is priceless.

02:01The PPSG is priceless.

02:02The PPSG is priceless.

02:03The PPSG is priceless.

02:04The PPSG is priceless.

02:05The PPSG is priceless.

02:06The PPSG is priceless.

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