Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Haleck confimred as new American Samoa police head

Posted at 03:40 on 30 January, 2013 UTC

American Samoa has a new police commissioner after the House of Representatives endorsed the governor’s nomination of William Haleck to take over this post.

He now heads the Department of Public Safety.

Last week, the Senate gave its endorsement of Mr Haleck, who had retired after serving 30 years as a U.S. government law enforcement agent.

Mr Haleck, a native of American Samoa, started his law enforcement career in the territory as a police officer before going to the US in the early 1970s.

Mr Haleck has told lawmakers that one of the issues he is reviewing, after getting legal advice from the attorney general’s office, is training police officers to carry guns while on duty.