Dave Mooney is a police forensics expert from Melbourne, Australia.
Australian Dave Mooney, a police officer from Mornington, near Melbourne in Australia, is a specialist in forensics. As an adviser with the RAMSI Participating Police Force, Mr Mooney has been working with his counterparts in the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to increase their skills in forensic police work, an area that can be complex, challenging and highly specialised.
“Forensic police work essentially involves studying and recording crime scenes for evidence, such as finger prints,” explained Mr Mooney. “And using that evidence to help solve a crime.”
Having worked with the Victorian Police in Australia for over 30 years, with 20 of those years specialising in forensics, Mr Mooney has worked at some of the toughest crime scenes in Australia.
However his work in Solomon Islands is not directed solely at solving crimes. Rather his job is focused on helping his team of counterparts within the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force build up the skills so that when he and other RAMSI advisers leave, the 13 members of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force’s Forensics Services team will stand proudly and confidently on their own.
“I work alongside a wonderfully enthusiastic, efficient and passionate group of men and women,” said Mr Mooney from the Unit which is based at the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force’s Rove headquarters.
“It gives me enormous pride to see the growth in the team – to see the strength in their decisions, and the commitment that they put into learning what is a very technical job.”
One of Mr Mooney’s counterparts in the Forensics team, Sergeant Dixon Vouza, who has served with the Solomon Islands police for 14 years, said that Mr Mooney’s biggest strength was not necessarily his years of experience in forensic science, but the way in which he has built confidence in members of the team.
“David has set great examples for us in the Unit,” explained Sergeant Vouza. “We are seeing the benefits of that – we work as a good team, with good systems.”
“Most importantly, David has really motivated me, built up my confidence.”
Another of Mr Mooney’s counterparts, Constable Davis Kusapa, who has been with the Forensics Unit since 2007, said that working alongside Mr Mooney had helped him make major improvements to technical skills, such as crime scene photography, an important component of forensics work. He believes working alongside Mr Mooney had taught him the values of professionalism and discipline and had given him the confidence to ask questions.
“From the time he arrived David has fitted in with everyone here,” said Constable Kusapa. “He has set a great example, and is giving us pride in our work. We respect him a lot for this.”
And despite the fact that his role in Solomon Islands is taking him away from his wife and loved ones for two years, Mr Mooney is very passionate about the opportunities his roles in Solomon Islands is helping to achieve, and the impact the members of the Forensics Unit are having on him.
“Sometimes in life you get the opportunity to do something truly different - and coming to live and work here in Solomon Islands is a dream opportunity for me,” said David Mooney.
“What did I really think I wanted to achieve up here?”
“I don’t really know. But what I do know is that this experience is unlike anything I’ve ever done – and to have the opportunity to work alongside the group that I’m in; it is a privilege.”
Laura Doherty, from Canberra in Australia, is a RAMSI adviser within the Ministry of Finance’s Budget team.
Laura Doherty, from Canberra in Australia, is a RAMSI adviser within the Ministry of Finance’s Budget team. Prior to coming to Solomon Islands to join RAMSI, Ms Doherty worked with the Australian Department of Treasury, but she is now focused on building the skills of her counterpart, Theresa Kia Paikai.
Ms Doherty and Ms Kia Paikai have worked closely on assessing funding requests, monitoring spending throughout the country, and the pair played an important role in helping to deliver components of the Solomon Islands 2010 Budget.
“Working alongside Laura has been a big great experience,” said Ms Kia Paikai, who hails from the Shortland Islands in the west of Solomon Islands. “She is always helpful and is very well-prepared – and is someone I feel I can always interrupt to discuss our work.”
Ms Kia Paikai says that when Ms Doherty returns to Australia after finishing her time with RAMSI at the end of 2010, she will take not only the technical skills that she has learned from her Australian counterpart, but a few personal traits as well.
“Laura is always smiling, and greeting everyone when they come in,” she said. “This is something I really appreciate – and it sets a great example for us to continue.”
Ms Doherty is relatively philosophical about the impact she hopes she is having on Theresa and the rest of the Budget team. She says that the biggest satisfaction will come from the fact that the Budget team will be working confidently – and independently.
“In many ways I hope that my presence won’t be felt when I leave, because it will mean that I’ve done my part,” said Ms Doherty. “It will mean, I guess, that I have helped to give Theresa and the team the confidence in their own abilities.”
Outside of her work with RAMSI, Laura can also regularly be heard on Solomon Islands FM radio station, PAOA-FM, playing some of her favourite tunes across the airwaves of Solomon Islands.