The Police Force is calling for community support in safeguarding the welfare and well-being of students as thousands of them will be converging at one venue in Suva from Thursday.

Police Chief of Operations ACP Livai Driu says officers are ready to commence operations with the intent of providing safety and security to all secondary school athletes, supporters, parents and teachers.

ACP Driu says apart from the usual school visitations, meetings will be held with nightclub operators, noting the trend experienced in past years of minors trying to enter clubs.

Police Chief of Operations ACP Livai Driu

He says officers have also been pushed forward from headquarters level and specialized units.

The Police Chief of Operations says community policing officers in all five divisions have been in close contact with school heads, gathering information regarding the travel and accommodation plans for participating schools.

“We are here to protect them, their safety. We will also visit their accommodations where they will be billeted and our community officers will be visiting them to provide safety tips to them and also advisories while they are in Suva.”

ACP Driu says traffic officers have been conducting awareness in schools with the Land Transport Authority.

[File Photo]

He is warning Fijians not to behave in a manner that threatens the safety of other road users, in particular, the practice of waving flags from moving vehicles.

He stresses that officers will not hesitate to confiscate flags if they are used in a dangerous manner, remove people from public transport if they are unruly, and the driver taken to task if he or she allows the dangerous practice.

Motorists can also expect snap checkpoints and are urging all road users to take necessary precautionary measures.