This morning the SPC GSD team attended the official launch of the Police GIS Crimes Database at the Fiji Police Force HQ complex.
The Police Department's GIS Project Leader, Actg ASP Eseta Lewabeci the OC Stats, will be presenting at the Pacific GIS/RS Conference next Wednesday at 11:00am at the USP Japan-Pacific ICT Centre.
The Police GIS Crimes Database would be a first for a law enforcement agency in the Pacific to branch out into this domain, and their perspectives may provide valuable learnings for the Pacific region.
At the GIS Crimes database launch this morning, the Police Commissioner's representative, ACP Biu Matavou, on behalf of the Commissioner said that it was a major milestone for the Fiji Police Force and that they were grateful to the SPC Geoscience Division of the Pacific Community for the generous and overwhelming support shown to officers throughout the year which enabled them to get the Geographic Information System up and running.
He also stated that the project was long overdue because as an institution that relied heavily on information and intelligence driven strategies to prevent crime, the advent of modern day technology was something they should have taken advantage of sooner. Especially if the system helped in instant crime analysis, deployment techniques, active enforcement of trivial crimes, monitoring of emerging patterns, and accountability programs for law enforcement managers.
The Police Commissioner's statement also highlighted that an option seriously being considered was investment in technology.
He also stated that with the system launched, the ball was in their court and that they could not afford to let this system sit idle.
As a token of the Fiji Police Force's appreciation to the SPC GSD team, a plaque was presented to them.
Dr Wolf Forstreuter from Pacific-Community-SPC's Geoscience Division acknowledged the wonderful cooperation with the Fiji Police Force and said that Fiji was a forerunner of GIS usage in law enforcement in the Pacific region and they would be looked up to, to provide guidance for other regional law enforcement agencies who may also consider doing the same.
Fiji Police Force officials who were present were: ACP Biu Matavou, CII; SSP Semis Bokadi, Dir CID; SP Eparama Waqa, D/Dir CID; Actg SP Mahen Shyam, D/Dir Plans; ASP Ilaitia Caginavanua; ASP Uate Rogo, Manager IT; Actg ASP Eseta Lewabeci, OC Stats; IP Lagi, Plans Unit; Cpl Pauliasi, Plans Unit; WPC Kinisimere; WPC Seini; Mrs Rasila; Mrs Singh and Ms Ana Naisoro the Media Advisor.
Pacific-Community-SPC representatives present were: Dr Wolf Forstreuter the GIS/RS Team Leader; Mr Sachindra Singh, the Senior Geospatial Systems Architect for SPC's ICT for Development team; Lanieta Rokotuiwakaya a GIS/RS Specialist and Elenoa Diani also a GIS/RS Specialist.