SUVA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Fijian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Inia Seruiratu said on Wednesday that there will be improved lighting in the capital Suva by this weekend to address rising crimes.
He said in the parliament that there will be 20 new closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in Suva in the next few weeks monitored from a central location by police officers and there will also be more patrol cars attending to crimes.
The overall crime has reduced by 8 percent while serious crime is down by 4 percent from January to June, he said, adding that there has been a lot of attention on mainstream and social media about criminal activities spiralling out of control which in turn has impacted public perception that Fiji is being overrun by criminals.
Seruiratu said he acknowledged that certain criminal activities have drawn the nation's interest on the recent spate of robberies, burglaries and gender-based violence along with drugs that has captured the attention of all Fijians.
The minister urged the business community in Suva to assist police as it is important to have a safer environment for all.
Innocent people including tourists have been getting attacked and robbed in the middle of the night or early in the morning in Suva after returning from nightclubs. Even people that work in the city are scared to walk around at night to the bus station because of criminals waiting to attack innocent victims.
