Tongan Police Force extended their community policing in the Ha’apai Islands to the Lulunga archipelago and will reopen the Police Station at Ha’afeva tomorrow Monday 7.
Lord Tu’uhetoka, the Ha’afeva estate holder, approached the Ministry of Police to bring back the policing service since it was first established and closed down in his estate decades ago.
He said recent criminal activities happened in the island were of concern given that it took too long for police officers in Lifuka to travel to Haʻafeva and investigated the crimes.
Grant O’Fee, Tonga’s Police Commissioner said they “…have agreed to put an officer on Ha'afeva,” while the ministry is processing application for a new building for the station.
Lord Lasike who is now holding the Tu'uhetoka title said a Chinese businessman at Ha’afeva has offered to build a temporary building for the police officers and a flagpole.
As the police service is operated at a lord’s estate, it is supposed to be leased but Lord Lasike said that is something they may discuss later. He sounded appreciative of the approval by the Police Minister to reopen the police station for his people.
Lord Lasike said the event links with the history of his ancestors, as the first Tongan Minister of Police was one of the Tu’uhetokas and a house at the Longolongo Police Academy in the capital Nuku’alofa is named after him.
The title Tu’uhetoka was granted as a bravery award by Taufa’ahau who later became King Siaosi Tupou 1 (1797-1893), the Founder of Modern Tonga. This occured after Taufa'āhau was hit unconscious to the ground at one of the battles he fought to free Tongan citizens from the despotic rule of the Tu’i Tonga line.
Taufa’ahau awarded the person who came to his rescue with the title Tu’u-he-toka, meaning – stand (tu’u) and fight to protect Taufa’āhau while he was lying (toka) unconscious on the ground.
