Police Force appoints first female Assistant Commissioner

Loraini Seru has made history as the first woman officer to be confirmed to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in the Fiji Police Force.

The former head of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has been appointed to lead the Internal Affairs and Professional Standards Unit.

Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu said the confirmation was based on the recommendation of a promotion board comprising internal and external members to ensure the appointment was merit-based.

Commissioner Tudravu said ACP Seru was the first woman officer to be confirmed to the rank of Assistant Commissioner, adding the appointment is sure to inspire other women officers and young girls who aspire to join the policing profession.

While policies are in place to support the advancement of women within law enforcement, he stressed that appointments and promotions would continue to be merit-based and encouraged women officers to take up opportunities when presented.

ACP Seru, who hails from Tonia Village in Tailevu with maternal links to Rewasa, Rakiraki in Ra, is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy in the United States of America.

She joined the Fiji Police Force in 1995 and has served in the Western and Central Divisions before joining CID Headquarters in Toorak.

ACP Seru was also the first officer seconded to the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) from 2006 to 2010, after which she undertook a two-year tour of duty in Liberia.

In 2020, she was appointed Deputy Chair of the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Women Advisory Network.

She was awarded Policewoman of the Year at the 2022 Fiji Police Women Excellence Awards.

ACP Seru has also obtained certificates from the Australian Institute of Police Management in Sydney and attended anti-money laundering and fraud training in Korea and New Zealand.

ACP Seru said there were many opportunities available within the Fiji Police Force and encouraged fellow women officers to venture into areas traditionally dominated by men.