Three of the 10 Police Officers who were involved in cyber safety training last month will be leading a community outreach this week, starting with Tereora College.

The three Officers participated in a regional programme, led by Australian Federal Police, and will be presenting one of their modules to students as part of cyber safety awareness building.

Two overlapping courses were conducted last month in which the Cook Islands Police participated alongside colleagues from around the Pacific. From February 13 to 21, 2025, the Australian Federal Police (AFP)-led Cyber Safety Pasifika (CSP) program successfully facilitated a Cyber Awareness & Education (CAE) program and a Cyber Investigation Foundation (CIF) program.

Those participating in the Awareness programme were: S/Sgt. Teinaki Howard, S/Sgt. Ngatamariki Pouao, Const. Peggy Matapo, Const. Tekea Akava, Sgt. Lisa Tatakura (Facilitator)

The Officers, who took part in the Investigation programme, were: Const. Grace Stusky, S/Const. Lina Maragrit Ingaua, Const. Eddie Kotoiwasawasa, Const. Cancy Maro, Const. Tikove Piira.

These programs aimed to equip Pacific police officers with the skills necessary to deliver digital safety community outreach presentations and effectively respond to cybercrime, thereby enhancing community cyber resilience.

The police participants who undertook the CAE program were provided with the knowledge and skills to proactively deliver digital safety presentations to police members and their communities to build cyber resilience and prevent cybercrime.

Feedback from the participants revealed that the training was highly valuable, emphasising CSP's effective cross-sectoral approach to developing cyber capabilities. The program promoted a "by the Pacific, for the Pacific" philosophy, encouraging local police to take on leadership roles in training.

At the closing ceremony, Cook Islands Police Service Acting Commissioner Akatauira Matapo praised CSP's efforts in promoting a safer digital landscape and highlighted the significance of ongoing collaboration to safeguard Pacific communities against cyber threats.

The CSP training exemplifies the importance of regional collaboration in tackling security challenges like cybercrime, enhancing police capacities, and fostering relationships among Pacific police agencies. Overall, the training successfully positioned participants to better engage their communities and build public trust in law enforcement.

Twenty-nine participants from American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, and Tuvalu took part, with the support of subject matter expert presenters from the Cook Islands Police Service, Kiribati Police Service, New Zealand Police, AFP Cybercrime, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and WESNET – the Women’s Services Network. Pics provided by Cyber Safety Pasifika. Police Media