Compulsory drug testing for Fiji’s police force is on the table as Government cracks down on police involvement – while balancing officers’ human rights.
“That’s a good question, and it’s a relevant question, and it’s something that we have been talking about,” Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua said when asked if drug tests could become mandatory.
“We are seriously talking about building or shaping a way forward that could enable us to ensure that we have the right people, and we are not burdened with issues like we are confronting now.
“But at the end of the day, it’s all about – that we do not infringe into human rights issues. That’s something that we need to carefully look into. But there’s been discussions, and we’re seriously looking into them.”
Mr Naivalurua also confirmed the Narcotics Bureau had not been scrapped but was being restructured.
“It’s not been disbanded. Basically, those that were there were part of the phase one of the establishment of that particular specialised unit, we have reviewed the developments in that unit and it’s now a need to refit the unit.”
He said more than 40 officers from the first phase had been sent back to their units and a new selection process was underway.
“We’re now working on a new selection process with very clear criteria, with specific emphasis on the right people, on very strong ethic foundational basis.
“Selecting the right people, the right feet, you know, and refitting it with a new structure, a new tempo, a new energy and life.”
