Find Security expertise in Kiribati
- Overview
- Status of Security
- Regulation
Whilst crime is by no means non-existent in Kiribati, the small, family- orientated, island culture of the country means that crimes tend to be the exception rather than the rule. International tourists are often warned against crime when travelling to Kiribati, but crimes against locals are of far less concern. Private security companies (PSCs) are therefore relatively rare.
Possibly the most prominent PSC on the Island is the Kiribati Security Services (KSS), a local company which offers physical security solutions throughout the country from their headquarters in Tarawa. In the public sector security often undertaken by in-house departments, examples of in-house security is used in public corporations such as Telecom Services Kiribati Limited and the Kiribati Oil Company; as well as public buildings such as the national airports and ministry buildings.
The government of Australia is heavily involved in security in Kiribati; areas of participation include regional programmes such as the Pacific Police Development Program (PPDP), a move to strengthen the Kiribati Police Service. The Defence Cooperation Program in Australia also provides training and other support to the Police Maritime Unit of the Kiribati Police Service for its operation of the RKS Teanoai patrol boat, as well as this two Royal Australian Navy personnel are permanently based in the country’s capital. The Australia-Kiribati Security Partnership 2010 works towards further strengthening security co-operation between the two countries.
Crime statistics for Kiribati are lacking, there is data regarding the effect of crime on Kiribati, and the reliability of security services on the island.
According to information from http://gunpolicy.org in 2008 the annual rate of homicide by any means in Kiribati was low by world standards, recorded as just 7.3 homicides per 100,000 people.
There are no official security regulators in the country. According to http://gunpolicy.org there is restrictive regulation on the ownership, import, manufacture and supply of firearms in Kiribati. Private possession of Automatic firearms, weapons and handguns is prohibited.