Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho has renewed his call for people to understand the dangers involved in the policing profession after an officer was attacked yesterday as he tried to stop a robbery.
Qiliho says the attack on Detective Constable Krishan Keshwan is a testament to the dangers his officers face when confronting violent situations when attending to reports of aggravated robberies.
DC Keshwan was struck on the head by a cane knife during an attempted robbery at a shop in Valelevu yesterday afternoon and he is currently recovering at his home.
Qiliho says the fact that the Force is an unarmed institution will mean his officers can only rely on non‑lethal forms of gadgets such as batons and pepper sprays as a means of protection.
He maintains earlier statements about the need to ensure his officers are properly equipped in such situations adding he will continue to pursue all avenues such as working with the military to have a specialized unit and relevant legislations in place to effectively attend to violent cases for the sake of his officers' safety.
He adds despite criticism about his stand, he will pursue with his ongoing efforts to avoid other officers falling victim to similar incidents.
