As the school holidays have begun, the Fiji Police Force is stressing the need for students to have effective communication with parents without fear.

This comes as the Force continues to record missing reports of children, but they are either found at a friend’s or relative’s house.

Chief of Operations ACP Livai Driu says in some cases, parents are unaware of their children’s whereabouts, and they end up filing a police complaint.

He adds such cases can be avoided if there is proper communication between the parents and children.

ACP Driu emphasizes the need to keep children engaged in activities during their break to prevent them from seeking out friends or other peer groups.

“Especially the minors who are reported to be missing from their homes without their consent, and they are not aware of the whereabouts of their children, so I am urging parents to be more vigilant and to monitor the movement of the children because if it’s reported to the police, then we will conduct our investigation as usual.”

ACP Driu is urging parents to spend quality time with their children.