Eighty six police officers were on Friday asked to be more dedicated to their oath to serve as the work of a law enforcer requires 24 hour dedication.
The message came from Chief Operations Officer Assistant Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu while closing the Constable’s Qualifying Course at the Fiji Police Academy.
ACP Tudravu said he was not happy with the attitude of some officers who have painted a negative image of what professional policing is all about.
“I get a lot of calls complaining about service delivery because we are failing to get the basics right. From the way you address a person coming to you for assistance right to the way their cases are handled are just some of the complaints I receive”.
“All of you that have just graduated today are the ones at the frontline of policing so I want to see changes and less complaints because when we fail to get basics right from point A to point B then we are bound to expect more complaints”.
He said being a police officer was a noble profession and called on the graduates to take more pride in the work they do.
“There are some officers who have the 8 to 4 attitude where I will only work within working hours and won’t do anything else outside those hours”.
“If you have that attitude then it must stop. Let me remind you the work of a police officer is a 24 hour job and you should be prepared to provide assistance even when you have taken off your uniform for the day”.
The Constable’s Qualifying Course was conducted in line with the Fiji Police’s strategic focus on training officers at all levels.
ACP Tudravu also told the graduates not to settle for what they have achieved and strive to learn as much as possible.
“What you have achieved today is great but there are so many opportunities available to learn more both within and outside the organisation so I encourage you to learn as much as you can because it will help your career as a police officer”.
“The Fiji Police Force has a lot to offer and you can achieve many things however you must learn to prioritise the right things and dedicate your time to the things that are important and that are your family and work”.
The dux of the Course went to Constable Viliame Naupoto.
PRESS RELEASE