National Federation Party president Parmod Chand has called on Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu to increase police visibility amid concerns over robberies, burglaries and attacks on taxi drivers.
Mr Chand said law-abiding people should not feel unsafe in their homes and communities while criminal activity continued in public spaces and residential areas.
“Public spaces belong to families, workers, students and businesses, not to people using them to threaten others or plan criminal activity,” he said.
He highlighted recent alleged attacks on taxi drivers in Wainibokasi and Nadi, as well as reports of robberies, purse snatching and an attempted stabbing in Cunningham.
Mr Chand said several incidents had occurred in broad daylight, with some receiving greater attention only after CCTV footage circulated publicly.
“The Commissioner must treat the fear being expressed by communities as a serious operational warning,” he said.
Mr Chand pointed to significant funding allocated to the Fiji Police Force in recent national budgets, including funding for additional officers and police beat patrols.
He said the public was entitled to know where additional officers had been deployed and whether the investment had resulted in increased police presence.
The NFP is calling for intensified foot and mobile patrols around residential areas, taxi bases, bus stands, markets and identified crime hotspots, as well as stronger night patrols and targeted operations.
Mr Chand also called for Crime Prevention Committees to be reactivated and for divisional crime and detection statistics to be made public.
“Effective policing cannot depend on waiting for a crime to be recorded on CCTV and circulated on social media,” he said.
“Police must be visible before an offence occurs, not only after the victim has been assaulted or robbed.”
Mr Chand said Government had provided funding, additional personnel and reforms, and these resources now needed to translate into “visible patrols, safer public spaces and decisive action.”
