THE Fiji Police Force will consider establishing an online complaints portal and a dedicated telephone line to enable members of the public to directly lodge complaints against police officers.
Minister for Policing and Communications Ioane Naivalurua highlighted this while responding to Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu’s question in Parliament yesterday, whether such platforms for complaints will be established.
“Yes, we will consider, and I am firm on that to improve the service provided to our people,” Mr Naivalurua said.
“This is a key area that we must improve.
“So, for a dedicated online portal and a dedicated telephone, I can assure the Leader of Opposition, I will consider that very seriously and give relevant instructions to the commissioner on actions that could be taken.”
He said they’ll also look at improving the transparency and accountability in the Police Internal Affairs Department.
“There’s also consideration at this point of how to improve that particular department, whether we shift them aside for more transparency and accountability.
“So, let’s work towards that, under the uplift program.”
He also highlighted the possibility of establishing a National Emergency Centre for complaints in the future.
“And perhaps if I could also use the opportunity looking forward, moving forward, look into how we can improve the process of complaints, whether it’s police or any other organisation.
“Perhaps in the future, we could be looking into a National Emergency Centre, an Operation Centre that can receive all calls.
“This is something that we’ve been talking about too, it’s something worth considering in the future.”
