The Fiji Police Force will recruit an additional 100 police constables to boost its operations.

The Force has been allocated $2.3m for this in the new fiscal year.

Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad says $183.7 million has been allocated to the Force, with an increasing focus on preventing cybercrimes and combating the distribution and use of illegal drugs.

Prasad says to improve visibility, $700,000 is allocated to strengthen police beat patrol in urban and rural areas under a new crime prevention initiative.

The government has allocated $3 million to improve existing infrastructure such as police stations, barracks and police posts.

“Over the years, previous government had constructed new police stations, which has cost close to a hundred millions dollars while many existing police stations, quarters and posts were neglected.”

Prasad says with the focus on maintenance and bringing police infrastructure to a better standard, the Force’s budget allocation will allow for the renovation and upgrade of police quarters and posts.