Ratu Epeli Nailatikau - Address at the Fiji Police Force Recruit 01/08
Jun 12, 2008, 16:05

Ratu Epeli Ganilau, Minister for Defence, National Security & Immigration

Address at the Fiji Police Force Recruit 01/08
Passing Out Parade

Thursday 12 June 2008, 10.00am

- Commissioner of Police – Commodore Esala Teleni

- Officers of the Republic of the Fiji Islands Fiji Police Force

- Graduates and their families

- Distinguished Guests

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is a distinct pleasure and honour for me to be here, to be the reviewing officer of this Passing-Out Parade of this Basic Recruit’s Course 01/2008. This is a proud moment for all of you as you have finished 16 weeks intensive training with the utmost determination and dedication. All of us here today, including distinguished guests, your instructors, fellow officers, members of your families present, and I, share great pride in your achievement.

Of the 100 police recruits at this ceremony today, I am delighted to see that there are 17 female recruits amongst you.

I wish to congratulate you for choosing the Police Service as a profession. Your addition into the ranks of the Service will be welcomed by those women who currently serve the Fiji Police Force with honour.

Today’s Passing Out Parade signifies that having passed the demanding tests of your intellectual and physical abilities, you are now qualified to be members of the Fiji Police Force. You have been imparted with appropriate knowledge, skills and abilities as required by operational junior police officers, and are well prepared for the role of maintenance of law and order.

You have also joined the Fiji Police Force at a very important time in the growth and transformation of the organization, with its vision of having an environmental friendly, effective law enforcement agency and a highly professional institution, and whose mission is to contribute effectively to maintaining the safety and security of the people of Fiji. You have also joined the Fiji Police Force at a time when our country is undergoing a crucial stage of development.

Ladies and Gentlemen, a society that is safe and secure from crime and violence, is a fundamental pillar of developed societies.

Good social order, a stable investment environment, an independent judiciary and rigorous enforcement of the laws by law enforcement agencies are indispensable for Fiji as it develops into a developed nation. One of the major challenges facing our society in its quest to be a developed nation, is the fight against crime and its impact on public safety and security. The Interim Government sees this as its top priority and intends to keep this fight at the forefront of its agenda. As such, law enforcement in the country must be brought up to par with international standards and this is clearly reflected in the substantial programme of change and reform that is taking place with the Fiji Police Force.

The transformation work which is presently underway since January 2008 began with the commencement of a new approach to integrated policing and effectiveness of change. Already we are witnessing the consolidation and strengthening of some changes, however the adoption of modernization and force revitalization has ensured that Fiji Police has established a platform of purpose and direction in to the future.

The Interim Government is also mindful of its role in improving public perception of the Police Force by ensuring that law enforcement in the country has the required resources to carry out its task.

You are the first class to graduate from the Police Academy this year, and you should be very proud and very excited about your accomplishment and what lies ahead as you begin your new careers in service to the people of this country. And you may also be a little nervous or apprehensive. If so, that is understandable and even good, for one does not choose lightly to take on the special responsibilities to society borne by the police officers.

Often, we witness in the media articles and reports that criticize the Police Force, its personnel and its ways. Some of these criticisms may be unwarranted but, they underscore that perhaps the most important quality of a professional Police Service is to be trusted and respected by the people they serve. You must realize that you have a very important role to play in the transformation of the Police Force, because it is the actions which you as police officers demonstrate every time you deal with the public that will build trust and respect in the Police.

In your studies during basic training you may have come across the name of Sir Robert Peel, the 19th Century British Politician who is regarded as the founder of modern policing and whose first name led to the term “bobbies” as a nickname for police officers. Some of the principles of policing outlined by Sir Robert Peel are as valid today as they were 150 years ago, the most memorable one being, “the police are the public and the public are the police.”

He recognized that effective policing relied on community support, not by currying favour with or usurping the judiciary, but by serving the law impartially and only using force when persuasion, advice and warning were found to be insufficient. In gaining community support you will have to recognize and adapt to the diversity of our society, in ethnicity and culture, in religion and in family and personal relationships.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to reiterate that the safety and security of this country and its citizens is the number one priority of this Government, and in that respect we will continue to encourage and support Police initiative that focuses on the aspects of policing that the public values most highly – protection, caring for those victimized by crime, and urgency in dealing with the daily problems which are brought to the police by the public.

As you are about to embark on careers with our Police Force, some of you recruits will be assigned to the various police divisions in our country, others, to the various branches of the organization. All of you however will be responsible for upholding the law and protecting all citizens. Ordinary citizens can choose to act or not in circumstances of personal risk and danger. You cannot. It is your duty to act in defense of others and the law.

In conclusion, I want to congratulate you for the hard work which was necessary to successfully complete your basic training which commenced on 25th February, 2008, and also thank you for the courage you displayed when you chose the challenge of becoming a police officer. I also want to thank the family members for permitting their loved ones to serve us all, in what may sometimes be a dangerous, but always should be an honourable and distinguished profession.

On all our behalf, I wish you all the very best for the future. Be courageous, be honest, be caring, and know that you are doing one of the most important and necessary jobs to ensure the safety and security of our country.

May God bless us all and our nation.

Vinaka Vakalevu.



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