Violence in the Kinoya area had quietened down and local residents no longer fear for their safety.
This was published in the Fiji Times on Thursday July 12, 1979.
The residents said they owed a lot to the police for their help and co-operation.
They had feared their lives were in danger after the killing of taxi driver, Shan Mohammed at Mavota Place.
Housewives locked themselves inside during the day in fear of being molested by unemployed youths loitering on roads and footpaths.
However, after the killing the police force’s mobile unit in Nasinu began a daily house-to-house patrol to provide security.
A reporter from TheFiji Times patrolled around the area and found that doors of several houses were wide open and housewives yarning freely away – a scene rarely seen in the area recently.
Housewife, Teresa Thomas who had earlier said she never left her house unoccupied was not at home when the reporter knocked on her door.
Sai Garnett of Tivi Road, whose husband was in Papua New Guinea said the family felt much safer now.
“It’s much quieter now than it used to be,” she said.
“The police have done a tremendous job.”
Makereta Bulikalabu of Tavola Place said her family felt safe when police were doing house-to-house patrols.
She said police had questioned people loitering on roads and footpaths.
“We hardly hear of any violence these days and the area is much quieter than before” she said.
Marama Koroinivalu of Vesivesi Street said the work of the mobile unit had reduced violence, robbery and drunkenness in the area.
“Residents felt safe seeing uniformed policemen going from house-to-house every day,” she said.
Assistant Superintendent Mohammed Shameem confirmed that violence in Kinoya had quietened down and police had received very few complaints from residents recently.
