Public information vital to police crack down on crimes [1]
Friday, May 18, 2012 - 22:19. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
As criminal house-breakings and theft offences continue to rise this week, the Tonga Police are calling on the public to provide information to help them to crack down on the epidemic of crime.
Acting Police Commissioner Taniela Faletau said on May 17, in the Police Weekly Crime Report that criminal offences jumped to 86 from the period of May 7-13, in comparison to 72 reported in the previous week.
He said although the increase was due to multiple charges against one man in 'Eua, nevertheless theft, housebreakings and common assaults were the most reported crimes that included 30 thefts, 15 housebreakings and 12 assaults.
Crimes of theft and housebreakings were reported from various parts of Tongatapu, but most was committed in Nuku'alofa, he said. There were also cases in the outer islands of Vava'u.
He said a Special Police Investigation task force to crack down on housebreakings and theft remained in full operation. Investigators have to date had made good progress . "We continue to ask the public to assist us," he said.
The Police had arrested five men in Ma'ufanga for a robbery at an Asian shop in Ma'ufanga on April 28.
Taniela said police arrested the men 48 hours after the crime. In addition, police had identified two male suspects in relation to the robbery at the Tau'olunga Computer in Fasi and had also recovered a laptop computer stolen from the incident on May 14.
"We want to reiterate to the public our message on the need for police and the community to work together in cracking down on crimes. I ask that the public continue to provide us with information because every detail is important to our investigation. And I thank the public for assisting us," he said.
He said that crimes of assault were also involving members within a family, and also under the domestic violence environment.
"The Police have a toll free number 922 and we urge the public to use it and assist us with any information on crimes," he said.
Community Policing
Taniela said that Community Police posts were another strategy aimed at crime prevention and consisted of nine posts in Tonga.
He said this strategy involved the police and community working together to help prevent crimes in communities. "Community policing encourages participation from the community, and we have neighbourhood watch people to assist the police in a community," he said.
"What is important is the visibility of a community post in that community and the community can engage with that police post. And we might have just one officer manning the post because there are only a few us, but its purpose is to engage with that community, so there is a bridge for the two parties to meet and look at what they can do to prevent crimes," he said.
Taniela said, for example, a community can tell the community police officer a problem facing their community, like there are too many shops selling alcohol in their area at odd times, and the community police can regularly check with these shops that it adheres to the liquor license law.
"It is about helping each other and police can assist communities bring about solutions but the initiative must come from them," he said.
Taniela said it was important for the public to note that police had strategies to tackle crimes, which included their investigation teams, strengthening their forensic unit and resources and community policing all aimed to help them reduce crimes in Tonga. "But we also need public to assist us," he said.