There is resistance in American Samoa to a proposal to arm the police.
At a recent meeting of lawmakers, the new commissioner for public safety, William Haleck, said he would like police to carry a weapon in future, given the dangerous nature of the job.
He said often the force has to deal with cases involving the importation of illegal drugs and illegal weapons.
But our correspondent, Monica Miller, says public feedback on local media is overwhelmingly against the move.
"People have said that we live in a very peaceful society we are not like L.A. It is going to be very dangerous to have the cops without any training and without any psychological evaluation being taken."
Monica Miller.
William Haleck says if he gets the necessary approvals, he will ensure police get all the necessary training on how to use a weapon properly.
