Kreetika Kumar 
Minister for Women and Children, Sashi Kiran, met with police officials to strengthen interagency collaboration and address key social issues.
Kiran met with Rakesh Chand, Director of Community Oriented Policing, and Joseph Hunter, Senior Advisor of the New Zealand Police and Team Leader for the New Zealand-Fiji Police Partnership Program.
The meeting agenda focused on strengthening existing interagency committees in a collective effort to improve referral pathways for cases involving children, whether as witnesses or perpetrators.
The aim is to improve coordination and ensure effective response mechanisms or care plans are mapped out for vulnerable children, as the country moves towards the enactment of the Child Protection and Child Justice Bills.
The meeting also addressed the growing issue of increased drug use among young people and its impact on communities, particularly children and families.
In addition, both parties discussed opportunities for capacity building in trauma awareness and recovery, to better equip social welfare officers and police officers to perform their roles effectively.
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