![](https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/valelevu-police-station.jpg)
The Fiji Police Force has implemented a container concept to address a critical space shortage in storing exhibits, particularly at smaller stations.
While larger stations can manage exhibit storage more effectively, smaller facilities face congestion when required to retain evidence for extended periods, especially in cases pending before the courts.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Administration, Meli Sateki, highlighted the challenges faced by the Valelevu Police Station, which serves a large population.
Despite having a significant police presence to address the area’s demands, the station grapples with increasing storage needs due to the rising number of cases involving drugs and robbery.
ACP Sateki says they’re currently storing exhibits in two containers at the Valelevu Police Station but this is both costly and poses inherent risks.
“But we are asking ourselves how long we are going to buy containers. Very soon we will have containers all around this compound.”
To ensure proper management, the Fiji Police Force conducts regular inspections of exhibits – monthly, quarterly, and biannually.
“We have emphasized on the importance of making sure that each individual exhibit is inspected. That is the practice that is guided by our force standing order. That is to be happening on the ground. But we have also noticed that there are a good number of exhibits that we keep. That the court has its own time to discharge the case before the exhibit is returned.”
ACP Sateki assured that any reported missing exhibits from station rooms are thoroughly investigated.
“Not because we would like to keep them, but we can’t identify the owner. What we have done in terms of cash. At some stage our investigators were reluctant to have them deposited into a bank account. Because the serial numbers of each note is noted as part of the exhibits. So we can’t do that, Mr. Chair. Because that’s part of the evidence presented in court.”
One of the significant challenges, according to ACP Sateki, is the management of cash exhibits.
He says they’re currently in discussions with the judiciary to explore the possibility of depositing cash and utilizing serial numbers for evidentiary purposes, rather than retaining the physical currency.
Furthermore, the Force is exploring the use of photographs of exhibits as evidence, aiming to minimize disputes with owners and avoid unnecessary storage.
A significant concern is the difficulty in locating the owners of exhibits in closed cases.
Additionally, some exhibits, due to their nature, cannot be stored in containers and may deteriorate.
“We have exhibits that get deteriorated and rust away as cars. You can see some of them get rusted around the police station. We have boats in the harbour that are supposed to be kept within the exhibit warehouse. We still are not able to do that. With drugs that we are now coming as a big issue. Proceed of crimes is going to be followed. So we won’t be able to keep all these exhibits that is coming. Fiberglass boat, engines and what not that are all part of these proceeds of crime.”
To address these challenges, the Fiji Police Force is actively seeking a long-term solution by identifying vacant land to construct dedicated warehouses at stations across the divisions.
Discussions are underway with the iTaukei Lands Trust Board and the Ministry of Lands to secure suitable locations.
However, ACP Sateki emphasized the need for robust security measures for these proposed warehouses.