Alarming statistics reveal that Nadi’s citizen-to-police ratio currently stands at a concerning one officer for every 600 residents.

This was highlighted by Deputy Divisional Police Commander West, Esira Bari, during a community policing meeting held at the Nadi Town Council Chambers yesterday.

The meeting, which brought together members of the business community and other interested members of the public, underscored significant challenges regarding police presence in high-risk areas around Nadi.

Addressing concerns about police presence in the popular Martintar nightlife area, Bari explained that tents have been erected in the area to enhance their visibility.

He stated that the force is also implementing additional measures to provide further support.

“We’ve changed the mode of our presence. We are trying, we are pulling officers from the community posts, and some other, those who are doing office work, and we are trying all our best to see that we provide that conducive environment and provide that security at those nightclubs”

Bari emphasized that while the police consistently strive to maintain widespread coverage, significant challenges have hampered these efforts.

“The same vehicles that are supposed to be at those nightclubs, they are going out just to go and attend the report of the members of the community who are calling, maybe 10 in the night, or 11 in the night, just to see that reports are attended. That is a problem, that is where we’re finding a problem in terms of our coverage at the nightclubs in the night.”

Bari says the police force has now rolled out 24 hours, seven-day operations in the Namaka area to ensure continuous coverage, with local restaurants reporting positive feedback about the initiative.

The meeting in Nadi, attended by the police, members of the Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Nadi Town Council, and other community members, aimed to address the challenges faced by the tourist town and find a way forward.