Quick action by the Bureta Neighbourhood Crime Watch Team has resulted in the arrest of a 22-year-old man who allegedly stole a phone from a shop in Samabula on Tuesday night.
Acting Commissioner of Police - Operations Livai Driu says the 22-year-old unemployed man from Naitasiri will appear in Suva Magistrates Court this afternoon.
He is charged with one count of theft.
The watch team had started patrolling the neighbourhood after increasing cases of break-ins in the area.
ACP Driu says the Fiji Police Force acknowledges the support from the community in taking the leading role in trying to make their community safe for everyone.
He says a team from the Samabula Police Station will visit the Neighbourhood Crime Watch Community to acknowledge their support.
An urgent call for increased crime-prevention measures and police patrols is being made by residents of Bureta Street and Levuka Street in Samabula North and Lami following increasing reports of break-ins in these areas.
Thieves are also getting daring as one of the houses was broken into by chipping the cement and opening the door lock last week. They then got away with items while the family members were sleeping in the house.
Another two houses were also targeted.
Yesterday, a man was taken in from Levuka Street as he was armed with a knife and trespassing into several properties.
The residents have also formed youth teams to conduct regular checks due to increasing criminal activities.
Residents from the Lami area are also raising concerns and calling for Police action due to the increase in robberies and break-ins.
When questioned by fijivillage News, Divisional Police Commander South SSP Wate Vocevoce said the first case in Bureta Street was at the home of a 62 year old man. He says the victim was woken up by some noise and they saw that their house was ransacked.
The second case involved a 60 year old man where he was about to make bread deliveries and discovered a tray of bread missing from the truck. He says for this case the victim did not want further Police action.
SSP Vocevoce says for the man walking around with the knife in Levuka Street, he was searching for coconuts to sell. He says the man says he often sells in the area and did not mean to create panic however Police are trying to reach out to the complainant.
SSP Vocevoce says as for the Lami issues, there have been constant house to house visits with the crime prevention committee chairs working closely with police.
He urges members of the communities to lodge reports if there are cases as the sharing of information is important.
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