38 police deaths spark health warning

Fiji Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has called for a change in police culture after 38 officers died in the past year, warning that reluctance to seek medical and psychological assistance was putting officers’ wellbeing at risk.

Speaking at the Fiji Police Force Remembrance Day ceremony, Mr Tudravu said the majority of officers who died were aged between 30 and over 50.

He said many of the deaths were linked to non-communicable diseases and that officers’ commitment to their work had, in some cases, led them to delay seeking medical intervention.

Mr Tudravu said some officers were reluctant to seek medical or psychological help because they feared being labelled weak or unfit for duty.

“Unfortunately, this is a police culture that needs to be changed,” he added .

The Commissioner said stigma surrounding mental and physical health remained an issue that needed to be addressed, despite increased investment in police welfare and psychology units and the introduction of regular mandatory health audits.

He urged serving officers to be proactive about their health and wellbeing, stressing that seeking help should not be viewed as a sign of weakness.

Mr Tudravu said the demands of modern policing had also changed, with officers exposed to trauma in both physical and virtual forms, including public criticism and social media campaigns targeting individual officers and the institution.

He said the Force could not effectively protect the public if the health and wellbeing of its own officers were neglected.

“We cannot be an effective police force if we are an unhealthy police force,” Mr Tudravu said.

His comments came as the Fiji Police Force honoured officers who had died in the past year, including young constable Peniasi Racagi, whose death remains subject to investigation and legal review by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mr Tudravu said the deaths of police officers also had a lasting impact on their families, particularly children left without a parent.

He challenged serving officers to consider whether they had adequately prepared their families for the possibility of their death and whether they had provided enough support for their loved ones.

The Commissioner also paid tribute to retired officers who had died during the past year, as well as police colleagues in Fiji and international policing communities.

He said Remembrance Day was an opportunity not only to honour fallen officers but also to reflect on the purpose and meaning of service.

Mr Tudravu reminded officers that while the police uniform represented strength and reliability, those wearing it remained human and vulnerable to the pressures of the profession.

He urged officers to look after themselves, saying doing so was an act of compassion towards both the communities they served and their families.

To the families of fallen officers, Mr Tudravu said their loved ones had served with honour and dedicated themselves to making Fiji safer.

“We will remember them,” he said.