Police to weed out ‘dirty cops’

The Fiji Police Force is confronting a growing internal crisis as more of its own officers face court for drug-related offences.

Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu confirmed the trend, saying it underscored the Force’s commitment to cleaning its ranks.

He said the organisation could not progress while harbouring officers who break the law.

“The organisation cannot move forward with corrupt officers in place, and any officer who fails to follow the law will face consequences,” Mr Tudravu said.

“I think we are heading in the right direction. Bringing police officers to court shows that we are true to what I’ve been saying.”

He said internal processes for dealing with officers who test positive for drugs were already being enforced.

Despite the rise in drug-related cases, overall complaints against police have fallen by 18 per cent. About 231 complaints were recorded compared with 283 last year.

Most involved ill-discipline, with 116 linked to conduct breaches, while 84 were related to neglect of duty.

Mr Tudravu attributed the decline to stronger oversight but stressed that more work was needed.

He said supervisors and frontline officers continued to be reminded about maintaining professional standards.

He said the focus now was improving service delivery and rebuilding public trust.