Fiji 2009 Crime and Safety Report

Crime & Safety Report

East Asia / Pacific - Fiji
August 11 2009

Overall Crime and Safety Situation

Crime continues to be a recurring problem in Fiji, steadily increasing in recent years. The number of crime incidents reported by the Fijian police from July - September 2008 was 17 percent higher than those of the same period in 2007. Property crimes (robbery, burglary, breaking and entering, theft) are the most common, accounting for approximately 48 percent of all reported incidents. Crimes against the person are the second most common, accounting for approximately 21 percent of all reported incidents. Property and personal crimes can occur 24 hours a day, though street crimes occur predominantly at night. Some burglaries and breaking and entering appear to be crimes of opportunity, but many are planned and perpetrated by informal gangs of criminals. Many burglars enter residences or businesses through unlocked doors or windows, but many times they will use tools to break through security bars to gain entry. Some businesses are targeted for robbery due to their insecure cash handling/transport procedures.

Many burglars/robbers do not hesitate to enter an occupied residence or business. They usually operate in groups of two to ten, with the average being five. They will break through security bars and solid wood doors to enter the residence or business.

There are very few firearms in Fiji. Most criminals carry cane knives (similar to a machete). Other criminals will threaten their victims with whatever makeshift weapon is at hand - broken bottles, iron rods, sticks, and tire irons have been used.

Most assaults in Fiji occur during the course of a burglary or as a result of provocations fueled by alcohol consumption and interpersonal conflicts. It is not uncommon for a fight to break out during a social event or for verbal disagreements to escalate to physical confrontations.

Most criminals, especially invasion-type robbers, operate in small to medium sized groups; however, muggers working alone are not uncommon and can be equally as dangerous.

U.S. citizens and enterprises are not specifically targeted by criminal elements, nor are they exempt from the criminal threat. In the past year, three U.S. Embassy contractors were assaulted and robbed of their belongings after frequenting a night club and visiting a local restaurant area. Hotels frequented by tourists have also been targeted for crime.

A collection of crime reporting:

-In March, a police officer who responded to a burglary in progress was attacked by three youths. Both the burglary victim and the police officer needed medical attention for their injuries.

-In June, a Chief of Mission employee's residence was robbed during daylight hours with several guests present.

-In September, a local business was robbed by fifteen masked men wielding cane knives. When four police officers arrived, the robbers told the police officers to leave the area or be killed, which they quickly did.

-In December, several gas stations were robbed during daylight hours by a group of men (five to seven) in the residential and business areas of Suva.

-In February 2008, a local bus driver was robbed at knifepoint and severely beaten by a gang of 15 men during the early hours.

Political Violence

In December 2006, the commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces overthrew the elected civilian government of Fiji in a non-violent coup. In the months following the coup the military took dozens of people into custody and in some cases assaulted them. Three men died in separate incidents from injuries sustained while in military or police custody. So far no American citizen has been taken into custody by the military.

In the year following the coup, there were two peaceful demonstrations, the first by a nurses union over labor issues and the second by a human rights organization. The police arrested both groups without incident for protesting in a public place without a permit. Legal proceeds against both groups were dropped by the interim military government. There have been no other incidents of civil unrest. However, the situation remains fluid; civil unrest or protest situations could occur at any time given the uncertainty surrounding a timeline for future democratic elections.

No known indigenous or international terrorist groups operate in Fiji. However, the threat from transnational terrorism cannot be ruled out. The Fiji police actively investigate any suspected terrorist activity and generally share terrorist threat information with the embassy and other diplomatic missions.

Post-specific Concerns

Public transportation is risky, for both security and safety reasons. Due to frequent and sometime violent crimes directed against taxi drivers, travelers are advised not to allow taxis to pick up other passengers while en route and not to enter a taxi that already holds other passengers. Mini-bus, bus, and taxi drivers often do not adhere to traffic laws and often drive under the influence of alcohol and or yaqona, which in turn causes many accidents. Due to increased donations of police vehicles by foreign governments, the enforcement of traffic laws has become more frequent but is still minimal at best. Drivers are urged to make an extraordinary effort to drive defensively while driving in Fiji.

Road conditions in urban areas are generally fair; rural area conditions are poor. In both urban and rural areas, livestock and stray pets, unwary pedestrians, and numerous large potholes make driving dangerous and particularly hazardous during nighttime hours.

Many restaurants and nightclubs do not meet U.S.-style fire safety standards. It is not uncommon for nightclubs to have only one door for entry and exit or to have an existing secondary door locked.

Fiji is located in an area of high seismic activity. Although the probability of a major earthquake or tsunami occurring during a particular trip is remote, small scale earthquakes have occurred in the recent past.

The cyclone (hurricane) season is from November to April. Travelers should expect that public services (water, electricity, transportation) would be unavailable for a significant period of time following a powerful cyclone. Flooding often takes place in conjunction with the cyclone activity and causes large amounts of flooding in the coastal or low lying areas, often cutting off resorts, roads and villages from nearby areas.

Police Response

The Fiji police remain in the developmental stages of becoming a modern and effective police force acting to protect the public. Unfortunately, since the coup, many senior and experienced police officers have left the force. The current police commissioner is the former deputy military commander and has no previous civilian law enforcement experience. The coup has also negatively affected training and equipment assistance that the police previously received from foreign donors. The organization has problems with equipment shortages and possesses only semi-effective criminal investigative units. Street-level patrols and police response to serious incidents are hampered by transportation, communication, and manpower limitations. Police officers in Fiji are not armed, and few carry batons or handcuffs.

Personnel and gasoline shortages at police stations are common. Callers requesting police services are routinely told that police cannot respond for lack of transportation. With the reduction of aid to Fiji due to the coup, this situation has only gotten worse as older vehicles are phased out for un-serviceability reasons and no additions are made to the existing fleet. Expatriate residents of Fiji often voice their frustration at the amount of time it takes the police to respond to emergency calls. There have also been numerous instances when the police have arrived during the commission of a crime, but because they were out-numbered and out-armed, were not able to make arrests or summon reinforcements.

Since the coup, the military has generally not interfered with the criminal justice system's prosecution of common criminals. However, two homicide cases involving military personnel have been hindered by the military.

Fiji justice has largely moved away from past practices of traditional chiefly or village reconciliation ceremonies in favor of court-ordered measures. This is most true in urban areas. Criminal acts are being reported to the police on a regular basis, and criminals face appropriate judicial proceedings.

U.S. citizens detained by the police or the military should demand to speak to the embassy. Arrested or otherwise detained foreigners have been generally treated well by the police in the past. Immediately after the coup, the military detained individuals it felt were in opposition to the military for brief periods of time. These people were threatened and occasionally assaulted, but usually released the same day. The military detentions in recent months have dropped significantly, but the military still detains anyone it feels may be a threat to national security, even though the military has no legal right to do so. During recent campaigning by the interim government for a "Peoples Charter," military and police personnel traveled from house to house to obtain signatures from residents. Several arrests and detentions took place during this time when occupants refused to endorse the document.

Except in some very rural locations, police are aware of a U.S. citizen detainee's right to contact the embassy. It is unclear at this time whether foreign nationals who might be detained by the military would be allowed to contact their embassy. Travelers should be aware, however, that the assistance the embassy can provide is limited to making sure U.S. citizens are not being mistreated and providing them with a list of attorneys. The embassy cannot secure the release of or act as legal representation for U.S. citizens. Local laws allow police to detain someone for up to 48 hours for administrative processing without charge. In the case of a military detention, there is no guarantee that the embassy would be allowed to visit the detained citizen. Currently there are no set legal rules on military detention.

Telephone Numbers

Nationwide Fire or Police Emergency: 911

For administrative calls, dial:

Korolevu

Fire: 650-0516

Police: 653-0122

Labasa

Fire: 881-1333

Police: 881-1222

Lautoka

Fire: 666-0211

Police: 666-0222

Nadi

Fire: 670-0475

Police: 670-0222

Suva

Fire: 331-2877

Police: 331-1222

Medical Emergencies

Medical care is limited, though usually adequate for routine medical problems. Emergency services, even in the capital, are very basic, and serious medical emergencies may require travel or MEDEVAC to the United States, Australia, or New Zealand. Some local physicians have been trained in the United States, Australia, or New Zealand, although the majority of their medical assistants and equipment are not up to those countries' standards. The sole in-country recompression chamber is located at Suva Private Hospital. For more information, see the Consular Information Sheet.

Medical Emergency Contact Information

Suva

Colonial War Memorial Hospital: 679-331-3444

Suva Private Hospital: 679-330-3404

Lautoka

Lautoka Hospital: 679-666-0399

Savusavu

Savusavu Hospital: 679 885-0444

Ambulance

St John's Ambulance: 679-330-1439

Air Ambulance

International SOS NZ Ltd (New Zealand): 64-9-359-1640

How to Avoid Becoming a Victim

1. Avoid any political or large gatherings of protestors.

2. Use a reputable taxi service. Do not allow the driver to pick up other passengers while enroute and do not enter a taxi that already has other passengers inside.

3. Be aware of your surroundings and people around you. Street robberies and pickpocket incidents, especially those targeting tourists in western tourist towns, occur both during the day and night.

4. Leave important documents and valuables in a secure location at your office or in the hotel safe deposit box, not unsecured in hotel rooms. Try to stay in hotel rooms above the ground floor. Opportunistic thefts have occurred from hotel rooms, especially from rooms located on the ground floor.

5. Always try to park in a secure and well-lit area; leave no valuables and lock your vehicle. Street thieves commonly walk a line of parked cars in an effort to locate an unlocked one.

6. Avoid walking in any city or town after dark, especially in unlit areas, and do not walk alone in isolated areas at any time.

How to Contact the Embassy

U.S. Embassy

31 Loftus Street

Suva, Fiji

24 hour number: 679-331-4466

Regional Security Office: extension 8113

Consular Section, American Citizen's Services Unit: extension 8141

OSAC Country Council

There is currently no OSAC country council in Fiji.