Community Policing Senior Managers meeting closing

Community policing requires patience, understanding and recognizing that it is about working and walking in partnership with members of our communities.

These were the words of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Planning, Research and Doctrines, Aporosa Lutunauga during the Community Policing senior managers meeting held at the Eastern Division Training room at the Nakasi Police Station earlier this week.

During the two day meet, the senior community policing managers heard from various Directors on how to harness community policing efforts internally and externally.

ACP Lutunauga said the success of community policing lies in the acronym of the community policing framework aptly named Duavata, meaning, Drawing Unity Amongst Various Agencies through Acceptance.

He said community policing in Fiji is particularly challenging taking into consideration Fiji’s diverse ethnic and religious communities, and it was crucial for community policing officers to be cognizant of their operating environment, and be respectful of cultural and societal norms.

ACP Lutunauga said by drawing unity amongst various stakeholders who have the financial and professional support in their respective fields, crime prevention will be greatly enhanced through a more targeted approach in addressing factors of crime, as Police cannot fight crime alone.

ACP Lutunauga commended the officers for being the face of community policing efforts on the frontline, acknowledging that their work was not easy in the face of criticism and negativity which often hinder efforts.

With 84 community posts around the country, senior Police managers and Community coordinators came together to discuss best practices in accordance with the organisations' intent of bringing community policing to the forefront of policing.