1. Community Partnerships
Collaborative partnerships between the law enforcement agency and the individuals and organizations
they serve to develop solutions to problems and increase trust in police.
Fiji Time: 10:32 PM on Wednesday 15 May
Secure Fiji for all
Timoci Vula
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua meets with community worker TJ
Loloma at the closing of the Community Policing Symposium in Labasa. Picture: FILE
CRIME is committed in the presence of two or more people.
And humans, on the other hand, have the ability to reason things either to do or otherwise.
In view of these, the Fiji Police Force has organised a two-day Community Policing Symposium
that will highlight some of the vital components which need to be discussed and addressed in
open forums in order to minimise the rise of crime in society.
These, according to police spokesman Inspector Atunaisa Sokomuri, not only target youths but
everyone.
"With the ability to reason things well, consult with others when things have or are about to
happen, concurs with the community policing rationale," Insp Sokomuri said.
"When members of our community are able to value such humane practices, all will enjoy living
side by side, particularly in a multicultural set up like ours," he said.
"The end result is cultural tolerance, religious understanding and social growth aspects of our
multicultural Fiji.
"It is also imperative to understand that once we have a peaceful, safe and secure society, it
produces and emboldens investors to bring development and this justifies the symposium theme
'Advancing Community Policing for Economic Growth'.
"This is the way community policing in Fiji is looking at promoting not only community-
oriented police as the way forward, but also the inspiration and aspirations embodied in the
Duavata model," he added.
Tomorrow, Minister for Defence, National Security and Immigration Joketani Cokanasiga will
officially open the two-day symposium and also launch the Duavata community policing model,
which is understood to boost the relationships of all sectors that take the approach to heart.
4. o Neighborhood Watch Programs were started in 1972 and are supported by the
National Sheriff Association (NSA). The roots of the Neighborhood Watch
Program date back to the colonial days when watchmen patrolled the streets at
night. The purpose of the program is to involve the community with law
enforcement agencies and lower crime rates in addition to preventing future
crimes from taking place.
How to Start a Neighborhood Watch
o In your Neighborhood Watch, be sure to include homeowners, renters, single
parents, senior citizens, teenagers and local businesses. Designate a person to be
in charge of the program, also known as a captain. The captain should be a self-
starter and should know how to delegate tasks. He should know how to
communicate with people and present ideas, as well as be organized and not be
power hungry. He should have a vision of what the neighborhood wants the future
community to look like and come up with strategies that will help to reduce
neighborhood crimes and improve the community. Decide on a date for your first
meeting and have a representative from your local enforcement agency come and
talk about the program. Notify your neighbors about the program and its first
meeting by handing out fliers, sending e-mails, knocking on doors, or calling
them on the phone. In addition to a captain, there should be committees formed.
People who are at home during the day and don't get out much can participate by
keeping an eye out for suspicious activity through their windows. Others may be
assigned to contact the authorities when a suspicious activity is taking place in the
neighborhood.
What does a Neighborhood Watch Program Do?
o The Neighborhood Watch Program is often initiated in a community that has
experienced crime such as rape, burglaries or other street crimes. The goal is to
lower crime rates and prevent crimes by involving the community and
communicating with the local law enforcement agency. Neighbors have regular
meetings, committees are formed, and suspicious activities are called in to the law
enforcement agency. Signs showing that your neighborhood is involved in
Neighborhood Watch can be set up and may also help to prevent future crimes
from taking place. The Neighborhood Watch Program is beneficial because not
only does it reduce current crime rates and prevent future crimes from taking
place, it helps neighbors bond with one another.
How to Keep a Successful Neighborhood Watch Program
o Neighborhood Watch Programs often begin in response to crimes taking place in
the community. Once the crime rate is lowered or eliminated, the neighborhood
programs die out. You can keep the program successful in your neighborhood by
holding regular meetings, bringing topics of interest to the meetings, delegating
tasks to everyone in the neighborhood, sending out monthly newsletters, and
5. having a socializing time as well as refreshments at the end of the meeting. Make
sure that rules and responsibilities are spelled out to all participants, officers are
elected, and bylaws are created. Having those things in place will help to keep the
program running smoothly.
Read more: How Does a Neighborhood Watch Program Work? | eHow http://www.ehow.com/how-
does_4680934_neighborhood-watch-program-work.html#ixzz2TMGG8pUT
