The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence is recommending the establishment of a formal whistleblower policy for the Fiji Police Force, providing confidentiality, protection from retaliation, clear reporting procedures and independent oversight.
This was highlighted by Committee Chairperson, Lenora Qereqeretabua, while tabling the review report of the Fiji Police Force 2021-2022 Annual Report in Parliament.
She says accountability must remain central to effective policing.
While existing police associations provide channels for officers to raise concerns, Qereqeretabua says the Force does not have a standalone whistleblower policy.
She says the Committee also supports the introduction of body-worn cameras, subject to an appropriate legislative framework, secure data storage and clear operational policies.
Qereqeretabua says properly implemented body-worn cameras can strengthen evidence gathering, officer accountability and public confidence.
The Assistant Minister says the security environment confronting the Fiji Police Force is changing, and policing capabilities must change with it.
She says the Force requires sustained investment in its people, infrastructure, technology, digital forensics, maritime security and community policing.
Qereqeretabua says serious crime increased by 22 percent, from 2,727 cases to 3,320, while sexual offences also increased by 28 percent.
She says the period under review was particularly challenging, with the Force continuing to manage the impacts of COVID-19 while responding to increasingly complex forms of crime and growing demands on policing.
Qereqeretabua says overall registered crime decreased by 12 percent, from 20,239 cases in 2020-2021 to 17,842 cases in 2021-2022.
However, she says the Committee cautions that this reduction must be viewed in the context of COVID-19 restrictions and does not necessarily represent an improvement across all categories of crime.
The Assistant Minister says the same period also recorded a rise in crimes against children, highlighting the continuing vulnerability of women and children and the need for stronger protection, investigation and victim support mechanisms.
She adds that the Force conducted 170 drug raids and destroyed more than 224,000 marijuana plants.
More than 107,000 random breath tests were conducted, while almost 290,000 vehicles were intercepted, contributing to an 11 percent reduction in road fatalities.
Qereqeretabua says during the 2021-2022 reporting year, the Force requested a budget of $349.3 million, but received $184.3 million, resulting in a funding gap of approximately $165 million.
She says these resource constraints affected infrastructure, fleet replacement, maritime surveillance, ICT, forensic and cybercrime capabilities, and frontline operations.
The Assistant Minister says there were also 219 unfilled vacancies, with staffing shortages in frontline policing, traffic, criminal investigations, water police, canine and specialist units contributing to increased workloads, officer fatigue, longer response times and delays in investigations.
She adds that during the reporting period, 266 officers left the organisation.
She says, for these reasons, the Committee recommends that the Government give appropriate consideration to the Force’s annual budget submissions, particularly for infrastructure, technology modernisation, fleet replacement, maritime surveillance and community policing.
Qereqeretabua says another major concern is the changing nature of crime, with the Force identifying cybercrime, misinformation, digital fraud, narcotics trafficking and transnational crime as threats that are developing faster than existing capabilities.
She says the Committee recommends priority investment in the digital forensics unit, including specialised equipment, software, personnel and training to address cybercrime, online fraud, cyber harassment, artificial intelligence-enabled offences and digital evidence.
Qereqeretabua also highlights the need for Interpol’s I-24/7 database screening to be deployed at maritime ports and designated wharves to ensure people of interest are flagged before they enter the country.
