Tonga's new Police Commissioner, Australian Shane McLennan, has been sworn in by the country's Chief Magistrate Folau Lokotui.
Commissioner McLennan and his wife arrived in Tonga on May 11 and then spent eight days in quarantine.
McLennan said it's an honour to be the first Australian to hold the office of police commissioner in Tonga.
Photo: Tonga police
He follows three New Zealanders in the role.
The Commissioner has a broad policing career that spans over 40 years, having commenced with the Queensland Police Service as a police cadet at the tender age of 15.
Photo: Tonga police
He served the length and breadth of Queensland for over 26 years before laterally transferring to the Australian Federal Police in 2008.
When being briefed by members of the Tonga Police Senior Executive on the range of policing services undertaken by Tonga Police, the Commissioner was keen to understand the difficulties faced by officers across Tonga.
McLennan also has experience in national and international level investigations, major event planning, search and rescue co-ordination, counter-terrorism, executive development and training, international liaison and diplomacy, project management, and policy development.
Photo: Tonga police
He was a designated detective in both the Queensland Police Service and the Australian Federal Police.
McLennan was also a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Institute of Police Management where he worked with the FBI in the USA and led the executive training program for senior officers on the 'Leadership in Counter-Terrorism -Pacific Region' program.