Police Chief Operations Officer ACP Livai Driu says the challenge the Force is facing when dealing with street kids is that when they take children to their homes, these children are back on the streets after 3 or 4 days.
While speaking in the i-Taukei language on the Viti FM Vakaribamalamala show, ACP Driu says all of Fiji is aware that this has become a major issue in the country, and both boys and girls are becoming street dwellers.
He says they have profiled these kids, and when they asked them about their reasons for living on the streets rather than at home, most of them said that they faced a lot of challenges at home and the community.
The Chief of Operations adds that some said they had lived in fear and were being bullied into selling drugs which is why they’ve chosen to leave their home and community and become a street kid.
ACP Driu says what was also revealed during their profiling is that most of these street kids are i-Taukei and are from good and financially stable families.
He also acknowledged the Methodist Church of Fiji for setting up a Committee which looks into the welfare of street dwellers, including street kids.
He says the Committee is also looking for a place where street dwellers can reside.
The Chief Operations is calling on government ministries, agencies, and faith-based organisations to work with them in dealing with this issue because the Police’s role is to ensure that laws are followed in the country.
