The Timor-Leste National Police structure has been having improvements, responsibility of the IV Constitutional Government, to make it more effective, more efficient and closer to the population.

One of the first steps taken to achieve these objectives was to turn the PNTL into a community police. The approval of a new Organic Law and a Carrier Regime, in 2009, was also important, giving police officers a new motivation, such as a salary increase. “In Timor-Leste, the Police base salary is still low, but in the past it was really very low, 85 dollars, it wasn’t enough to face normal expenses. Now, a police officer in the beginning of a career receives 205 dollars”, explained The Secretary of State for Security, Francisco Guterres, to the Timor-Leste Radio program “Good-bye Conflict, Welcome Development”.

The process for the Police’s supervision is currently being studied for the identification and a more rigorous responsibility of the police officers that don’t fulfil with their duties.

At the logistic level, new buildings for the PNTL have been constructed, and the improvement of infrastructures process is almost concluded and new vehicles have been acquired. A team is being prepared to evaluate existing equipment and logistics, at the national level, to improve the planning of new material acquisition.

According to the Secretary of State for Security, “all these steps are contributing so that the PNTL work continues to improve. According to a research that we undertook, the community is closer to the Police, with almost 80 per cent of the population manifesting that it has more trust in the Police”. We consider that the amendments we have planned are resulting in a significant improvement. The synergies are working better. I think that the Police is working better, even if sometimes we have small problems, issues with logistic and or discipline – some police officers aren’t still well aware of the rules – but the majority is working better, they are carrying out their duties better.