Tonga Police

Tonga Police
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Agency overview
Formed1868; 158 years ago (1868)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction Tonga
General nature
Website
tonga-police.webflow.io

Tonga Police is the national police force of the Kingdom of Tonga.

Official records first mentioned the position of Minister of Police in 1868, which at the time was held by Kupu a Vanua Veikune who was chosen by King George Tupou I while he was still a student at Tupou College. When the Constitution of Tonga was signed in 1875, the Minister of Police was Tu’uhetoka.

The first Police Act was passed in 1891, which was updated in 1903 and replaced in 1923. A new Police Act was written in 1968 with assistance from the United Kingdom. This Act was later replaced by the Tonga Police Act 2010 which came into force on 2 February 2011. The 2010 Act separated the powers of the Minister of Police and Commissioner of Police, enshrines the philosophy of community policing, and defines the primary role of the Tonga Police.

Since Australia and New Zealand intervened in the 2006 Nukuʻalofa riots, Tonga Police have been assisted by the Australian Federal Police through the Tonga-Australia Policing Partnership (TAPP) program. Tonga Police sometimes calls upon on the resources of the Australian Federal Police and New Zealand Police. Members of the Australian Federal Police have also served as Commissioner of Tonga Police, including AFP Commander Geoff Turner who was sworn in on 12 May 2025 to serve a three-year term.

Tonga Police also has a police band known as the Royal Tonga Police Band, which was incorporated into the Tonga Police Force in 1951.

References

  1. 1 2 "Tonga Police History". tonga-police.webflow.io. Tonga Police. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  2. ↑ Corporate Plan & Budget 2020/21 - 2022/23 (PDF) (Report). Tonga Police. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  3. ↑ Corporate Plan & Budget 2022/23 - 2024/25 (PDF) (Report). Tonga Police. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Our Work in Tonga". afp.gov.au. Australian Federal Police. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Training of Tongan Police Force". nautilus.org. Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Tonga - Octopus Cybercrime Community". coe.int. Council of Europe. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "AFP Commander Geoff Turner selected as Commissioner of Tonga Police". Australian Federal Police. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Royal Tonga Police Band". police.gov.to. Tonga Police. Archived from the original on 31 October 2017.
  9. ↑ Mathieson, Andrew (27 July 2025). "Pacific Police Tattoo strengthens partnerships over mutual love of music". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 4 July 2025.