Drop in complaints against Police officers

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Drop in complaints against Police officers

COMPLAINTS against police officers have reduced ever since the first-hour procedure was introduced, says Assistant Commissioner of Police Itendra Nair.

While speaking at the inaugural Pacific Regional Legal Aid Conference in Natadola yesterday, he said police officers were more accountable for their actions now that interviews of suspects at Totogo Police Station and the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) headquarters were video recorded.

He said the recorded interviews also protected officers from false allegations.

“With the first-hour procedure we have seen that it protects in the Fiji Police Force against allegations of police brutality,” he said.

“We have video evidence that we can show to disprove these allegations.

“There are a lot of allegations of police brutality and if there are allegations of this nature, the risk of it happening can be minimised with video recorded interviews.

“The first-hour procedure has also enhanced the indemnity of police investigations.

“We have seen an attitudinal change from our police officers since the introduction of our first-hour procedure.”

Mr Nair said the first-hour procedure was introduced in 2016 at their pilot stations in Totogo and the CID headquarters in Toorak, Suva.

“However, because we have a lack of machines, at the moment only indictable offences are recorded.

“A copy of the DVD is also given to the accused and there is also a transcript done by special transcribers who are also able to translate interviews done in either iTaukei or Hindi.”

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