THE lack of proper equipment for police officers has significantly increased the risks they face when handling drug-related cases, says Tobia Seru.
Mr Seru stressed this point during the press event in Tavua on Wednesday.
“When we look at the current situation and the news that we have about drugs, when we look at the exposure level of our police officers, their exposure level is high,” Mr Seru said.
“The level of risk is also high, but when we look at the lack of controls to minimise the threat, it’s not there; our officers are ill-equipped.”
Mr Seru said police officers’ lives were also at risk when attending drug-related crime scenes.
“I request we consider police officers when they attend to such cases, if they could be fully equipped.”
Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (A/DCP) Aporosa Lutunauga said programs were in place to protect officers.
“We have a program in place, one to protect our offices, it’s called an officer safety program, and it’s currently being held in Suva, and it has been moved up to the north,” he said.
Once completed, A/DCP Lutunauga said the officers were issued non-lethal weapons, in the form of a spray, so they can protect themselves.
“At the same time, we are reviewing the Police Act, which empowers us to use as many arms as possible to protect our officers, but as far as our health is concerned, as far as being exposed to the drugs, the Fiji Police Force is currently looking through our processes and our systems and our protective clothing, especially when we are out there into the fields to uproot the green drugs.”
