$36M Nakasi Police Station officially opened

The Nakasi Police Station worth $36 million has been officially opened today by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad.

The ground breaking ceremony for the Nakasi Police Station was done in July 2019 with the broader strategy of the Police Force to strengthen infrastructure in population dense areas.

According to Police, before the current station was established, policing for the Nakasi area was coordinated through the Wainibuku Police Post.

In 2007, the post was elevated to station status, providing a formal policing base for the community.

By August 2023, the new Nakasi Police Station was completed and open for operations.

The station also serves as a major hub for the Eastern Division Headquarters in looking after five policing stations and 13 community posts, covering four provinces of Tailevu, Rewa, Naitasiri and Lomaiviti.

The new building includes separate men's and women's cells, modern interview rooms, locker rooms, training rooms and various departments, including community policing, criminal investigations, a command centre, tourist police unit and more.

The station serves more than 45,000 people living and working in Nakasi, Wainibuku, Davuilevu and Koronivia.

While officiating at the opening ceremony, Professor Prasad says this $36 million investment in the modern, better equipped facility for our Police Force reaffirms the government's unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of every Fijian and to safeguarding peace and stability of our nation.

He says he deeply appreciates and understand the importance of law and order, safety, security, stability, which is always a strong foundation for any nation to prosper and, in particular, to grow its economy.

Professor Prasad says drugs are tearing the fabric of our families, destroying the potential of our youth, and threatening the very foundation of our society.

He adds that addressing this requires a whole-of-nation response and our families, schools, religious organisations, youth and civil society groups, communities, government, and development partners must work together to tackle this crisis and protect the future of our nation.

The Minister says with these challenges, we must continue to invest in our police force, enhance our policing capabilities, and strengthen our collaboration with international partners.