I write today not merely as a victim of crime, but as a deeply concerned citizen hoping to sound an alarm for our community. My recent experience serves as a stark warning to every person who owns a car and values their hard-earned possessions.
ON Monday, November 14 in the broad light of day, I parked my car in what many would consider a safe and prominent location in Nasinu. Believing my vehicle to be secure, I made the critical mistake of leaving my laptop on the front passenger seat, locked the car, and attended to my business.
Upon my return, I was met with a scene that is becoming tragically common: the front passenger window was utterly smashed, and my laptop was gone
The financial loss is significant, but it pales in comparison to the visceral feeling of violation and the crushing loss of the contents stored within that machine. I cannot fully stress the sentimental value. It was not merely a device; it was a repository of my intellectual labour — months of painstakingly compiled research, now vanished. More painfully, it held a digital treasury of family photos and irreplaceable historical narratives, pieces of personal history that cannot be recompiled or rediscovered.
This was not just a theft, it was a brazen act of destruction. The thieves of today operate with a chilling lack of hesitation. They are not deterred by daylight, by public spaces, or by the sound of shattering glass. They see a valuable item, and they will stop at nothing to take it, leaving behind a trail of damage and loss.
The loss of the laptop is substantial, but the implications of this incident speak volumes about a far more dangerous erosion. We are witnessing a disturbing deterioration of character and a loss of moral values among a segment of our youth. The dignity of hard work and the respect for others’ property are being abandoned for the quick, cowardly gains of crime.
This is a sad reality that was never so prevalent in our beautiful Fiji.
While we rightly look to the police to combat this scourge, they cannot fight this battle alone. This criminal behaviour is cancerous and is spreading rapidly. It demands a collective effort from every stratum of our society.
We, the public, must be the first line of defence.
We must remove the temptation by ensuring that no valuables — not a bag, not a phone, and certainly not a laptop — are ever left visible inside a parked car. A vacant car must look exactly that, vacant.
Furthermore, this is a clear signal that we are losing the battle for the soul of our next generation. The fight must begin at home.
Parents and guardians have a sacred duty to instil strong moral values, integrity, and a sense of responsibility in our children. We must teach them that character is their most valuable possession. Without this foundational work, we are building our future on sand.
If we do not act now, with urgency and unity, this rot will only deepen, affecting generations to come. The mass exodus of our brightest and smartest citizens overseas will continue, driven away by the very insecurity we are failing to address. Let my smashed window be a wake-up call.
Let us reclaim our streets, our values, and our future, together.
n SEVECI TORA is a
concerned citizen who
believes the fight for a
better Fiji begins at home
Better days … The author says this was not just a theft, it was a brazen act of destruction. Picture: SUPPLIED
seveci
