For the past six months, it has been an overwhelming experience for Police constable Timoci Seviua.

At the time when COVID cases heightened in the central division, Mr Sevuira had to be away from his family to serve his duty as a police officer to the community.

Mr Seviua said missing his daughter’s birthday while patrolling the streets of Suva was heartbreaking.

“I have two daughters, the oldest one is four while the youngest turned two in August, which was when I was still away. I could not be physically present to hug my daughter and wish her a happy birthday.

“Thankfully I have a supportive wife who keeps me in touch with the kids through phone calls or video calls. Having a supporting family is very important during this pandemic because it helps us get through,” he said.

Police role

From Nadroumai village in Nadroga, this year marks six years since Mr Seviua donned the police uniform.

His admiration for police work since childhood inspired him to join the force in 2016 and while this came with its share of challenges, he remains proud to be a police officer.

However, this pandemic has really tested his role as a father and a police officer.

“Police work is an interesting field because it has helped me look at things differently and I have learnt a lot being a father and a frontliner,” he said.

“Being away from family for the past six months, leaving my family home to serve other families in the community has been a challenge on its own.

“During this pandemic, seeing people lose their jobs and finding life difficult at this time is sad because this is a challenging time for everyone.

“I sacrificed family time with my daughters to look after other families so this pandemic has really taught me the importance of family time.”

Experience during pandemic

Based at Totogo Police Station under the operations branch, COVID operations were different for Mr Seviua compared to six years ago when he first started.

He said following the advice from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, a lot of checkpoints had to be erected.

He adds that it was important to follow what was required for the safety of the public.

“Normal operations were during curfew hours but with this pandemic, things keep changing. We have operations at the border and we are now working within bubbles in Vatuwaqa and our area of operation is Suva city,” Mr Seviua said.

While he is back home with his young family in time for Father’s Day, Mr Seviua is catching up for lost time with his daughters.

“When I returned home, it took the kids one week to get close to me because they were more used to being around their mother after I was away for six months,” he said.

“I’m just thankful to have an understanding and supportive wife who understood my role as a police officer,” he said.

While Mr Seviua wishes all the families a blessed Father’s Day, he hopes people will continue to follow all COVID safety measures.

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