RSIPF PRT members demonstrating live firing certification at the Tenaru Firing Range Photo: RAMSI Public Affairs
The police in Solomon Islands say they're ready to rearm as soon as the government gives them the green light.
The police have been without firearms since 2003, when an Australian-led intervention force entered the country to end a long period of civil unrest.
Since then, the police have relied on the regional assistance mission, or RAMSI, to provide armed support when needed.
But with the mission scheduled to leave at the end of June, the police force will have to resume those responsibilities itself.
That remains controversial, as some fear a repeat of the ethnic crisis where police weapons fell into the hands of militants.
But the police commissioner, Frank Prendergast, said it was a different time and the police force has been completely rebuilt.
He also said the units to be rearmed are highly-trained and ethnically balanced, and they will use standard police weapons, not military-grade firearms.
"In conjunction with that there has also been enormous effort put into the facilities themselves," he said.
"The armoury is state of the art it has not only got physical security its got biometric security, its got electronic surveillance, it is a different facility from the one we had previously. You know it is a different time things have changed and I think we are well and truly ready to rearm or else I wouldn't have given that advice to government."
