Private Column by Frank Short, CBE
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Frank Short is a British born Australian citizen.
He served as the Commissioner of Police in the Solomon Islands from 1997 to 1999.
As a young national service officer he was a member of the Corps of Royal Military Police in Hong Kong from 1959 to 1962 when he commanded an Anti-Vice Section, receiving commendations from the Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong and the Commissioner of the Royal Hong Kong Police.
His later civil police career was spent in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), Swaziland, Hong Kong, New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), St Helena and Ascension Island and Bophuthatswana.
He was twice awarded 'Batons of Honour' during his early police career, the first when serving in the Northern Rhodesia Police (NRP) and the second as a member of the Royal Hong Kong Police (RHKP).
His appointments have included Head of the Training Wing of the Swaziland Police College,Public Prosecutor in Swaziland, Officer Commanding the Northern Police Division of the New Hebrides Constabulary, Santo, Chief of Police on the Island of St Helena, Registrar of the Supreme Court, St Helena, and Detective Inspector in the Special Branch of the Royal Hong Kong Police.
In Bophuthatswana, as a contracted British Adviser, he lectured on human rights and successfully commanded a Civil Claims department and a Complaints Against the Police office.
In 1995 he was appointed Senior Legal Administrative Officer to the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Safety and Security in the provincial government of the North West Province of South Africa.
In his role as Senior Legal Administrative Officer he continued his work as a human rights adviser and lecturer, working in close cooperation with staff from the Raoul Wallenburg University in Sweden and the University of Essex in the UK. He was also involved in the pre-planning work for the establishment of a South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
In 1998 he was invited by the United States Army to address a Pacific Armies Management Seminar (PAMS) in Manila, Philippines, on the role of "Leadership." This was the first occasion a police commissioner had been invited to address a gathering of senior international military officers from some 40 countries.
Since retiring as Commissioner of Police in July 1999, he has maintained a close relationship with the Solomon Islands and been a strong advocate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
He believes passionately in restorative justice and reconciliation for all the people of the Solomon Islands.
In recent years he has done voluntary teaching work in Thailand, including aiding socially disadvantaged young people.
He was appointed CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours, 1999.
Wednesday, 27 February 2013 12:00 AM
Policing a Clash of Cultures Part 22: A Solomon Islands General Election.
BY FRANK SHORT, CBE
Extract from my memoirs.
As police planning for the general election began to take shape worries over the usual shortage of money to cover police operations began to concern me.
Initial doubts about being able to deploy enough policemen in all the electoral areas to monitor the election process and provide security were re-kindled just two days before Election Day, when the Electoral Commission met to decide whether the election could still go ahead.
The Secretary to the Commission, John Babula, told the meeting that the cost of the whole election process had been estimated at S$3.8 million but the Electoral Commission had received only S$1.7 million from the government.
We waited…
The cliffhanger somehow got resolved at the eleventh hour-- on the eve of Election Day, when it was announced the balance of the funds had been acquired and the country’s 194,994 registered voters would be able to cast their votes on polling day – August 6, 1997. It was promptly declared a public holiday.
On polling day itself the country witnessed large numbers of voters at all the designated polling stations with attendances higher in the rural electorates than at some of the urban centres in Honiara.
Observers commented that the high turnout reflected the fact that the people wanted a new government with good leaders to get the county out of its economic mess.
Touring the urban voting centres, I was impressed by the orderly and good-natured way the people were waiting in long lines in the hot sun to make their choice.
By the time the polling stations had all closed there had been no incidents reported throughout the country and I was well satisfied that the police operations had gone smoothly. Credit to all concerned.
To be continued …
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