Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho said even though the Fiji Police had made some big arrests recently, the police needed the co-operation of the communities because the criminals were getting smarter.

“The criminals are getting smarter and the police is working with communities to gather more information. They are smart and they migrate around with the same group,” Brigadier-General Qiliho said.

Brigadier-General Qiliho was speaking on Wednesday to about 15 Nasinu Crime Stopper stakeholders at their meeting at the Police headquarters at the Centre Point in Nasinu.

He said the Fiji Police Force had made some arrests on the increasing number of burglaries and home invasions around the country.

“We’ve made some big arrests recently and they are being produced in court now,” he said.

“There are always a number of criminal activities they have done so once we take away a certain team (of criminals), it has a big impact and a certain area quietens down straight away before another team builds up again.

“Crime is such that it needs everyone’s effort. It is not just a policing issue. It needs the cooperation of everybody from the family level up to the national level.

“The Ministry of Defence has been very helpful in engaging to establish crime boards around the country.

“Our statistics show that we have improved by six per cent from 2015 but it does not take away the fact that there are increases in some areas like aggravated burglaries and home invasions”.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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