BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) will mark the 40th anniversary of the Women Police Squad with a grand celebration where the highlight of the event will be held in September this year.

One of the activities planned to celebrate the anniversary included a religious ceremony held at the surau of the RBPF headquarters yesterday.

Around 400 members of the RBPF including female personnel attended the ceremony which also saw the attendance of the Police Commissioner Dato Seri Pahlawan Bahrin Mohd Noor.

The ceremony yesterday started with a mass Maghrib prayer, followed by the recital of Surah Yassin, tahlil and a thanksgiving prayer led by the Imam of the RBPF Surau, Sergeant Mohd Yusri Hj Abu Bakar.

Other activities will also include the award presentation ceremony for excellent members of the women police squad which will be held in September, along with the 40th anniversary of the Women Police parade.

A special documentary promoting women in the police force and sharing their achievements over the 40 years since its establishment will also be broadcasted on Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB).

There will also be a netball tournament where government agencies have been invited. The competition is aimed at fostering closer relations and networking between the police and other ministries as well as departments under it.

The Women Police Squad was established on August 4, 1974 where in the wake of such, only 30 recruits were selected out of 350 applicants to join the police force.

Currently, there are 805 members of the Women Police Squad including 40 officers and 765 junior ranking personnel - the largest number since the squad was first established.

During the 40 years of establishment, the Women Police Squad has not only grown in terms of number but also in terms of its capability to handle the different tasks within the police force.

The original purpose of setting up the Women Police Squad was to provide services such as support staff and to handle clerical works.

Female police personnel were also given the task to handle cases related to women and children, including to control, inspect and accompany female prisoners and children.

Compared to their roles since the squad was first established, women police’s services now include investigating specialised and serious cases, monitoring current situation and criminal threats as well as to regulate the safety of motorists on the road.

The Brunei Times