First female UN police commissioner assumes duty in Timor-Leste

The first female United Nations' police commissioner assumed her functions today with the world body's support mission in Timor-Leste.

Sandra Peisley brings to the UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) a wide variety of relevant areas of policing, including police training, management, investigations and close protection. She is an Assistant Commissioner in the Australian Federal Police.

Meanwhile, UN and national police efforts to curb criminal activity in Timor-Leste are receiving a boost through a new collaboration with leaders of several martial arts groups aimed at involving them in community policing activities.

In an agreement to be signed later this week, UNMISET also hopes to enlist the groups' help in identifying members who are involved in illegal activities as well as to stop the organizations from fighting each other.