Rise in crime shocks Seruiratu

THE recent revelation by the Fiji Police Force that crime rates have increased is shocking, says Opposition leader Inia Seruiratu. “The Acting Police Commissioner has informed the nation of these alarming increase in the overall crime rate by 10 per cent in January alone,” said Mr Seruiratu in a statement.

“What is even more alarming is the increase in the crime against women by 31 per cent.

“To top it all off we are now informed that drug cases rose by an astronomical 94 per cent and this is a serious concern because the majority of the cases are within our communities, in Fiji itself amongst the people we interact with every day.”

He said people must acknowledge the reality of our fight against drugs, as one of the developing countries and being the hub of the Pacific, the country was vulnerable to these issues.

“I will say this once again; drugs will continue to be a huge crisis and the war against it will not be easy.

“We need to find avenues of how we can improve our capacity to fight drugs because we will continue to see an influx due to its lucrative price. As much as we want to work together; there is also a very critical need for our police officers to honour their role in upholding the law of this country and ensuring there is transparency and accountability within the force.”

He said last month alone, the country had seen cases where drug evidence was allegedly tampered with in two police stations in the country and cases of alleged police brutality. “We need to remind our officers, that maintaining law and order and national discipline starts within the force itself in ensuring there is no corruption and at the same time safeguarding the integrity of the Fiji Police Force.

“This is not an issue to be taken lightly and carrying out your duty as police officers always come under the critical observation of the people because of the role you play.”