FIJI’S police body-camera program cannot be rolled out nationwide because the law does not yet allow footage captured by the devices to be used as evidence in court, Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua says.
Mr Naivalurua said body cameras were an important tool for the Fiji Police Force and could strengthen police operations and the recording of incidents.
However, their wider use remained limited because there was no legislation to support the technology.
“It’s a much-needed equipment for the organisation, but unfortunately at this point we do not have the legislation to support it,” he said.
He said the cameras were currently being used for training and, in some cases, police operations as part of the trial.
However, footage captured by the devices could not be admitted as evidence in court, limiting how the recordings could be used.
He said the Government was now waiting for the new Police Bill to return to Parliament and hoped it would soon be passed into law.
Responding to questions about recent attacks on taxi drivers and a rise in petty theft cases, Mr Naivalurua said police would shift from reacting to crime after it happened, to preventing it.
He said he had discussed with the Police Commissioner the need to review current policing strategies, including operational models, to strengthen prevention, particularly during the holiday period.
“The focus right now is to shift from being reactive or responsive into the preventive mode,” he said.
Mr Naivalurua stressed that police officers, both in uniform and plain clothes, were present in communities and would continue to be part of operations to prevent crime and ensure public safety.
