Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has signalled a cautious, staged approach to introducing body-worn cameras to the Fiji Police Force, saying constraints in critical digital infrastructure and the need for legal and operational systems mean any rollout will be gradual. Assessments are now under way to determine how best to proceed, he said, as the force steps up work to enhance its information and communications technology (ICT) capabilities.
“There is a lot of supporting infrastructure that must be in place before we invest in body cameras for the organisation,” Mr Tudravu told reporters, stressing that the force remained committed to the technology as a tool to improve transparency and accountability. He said the Fiji Police Force is first concentrating on strengthening ICT through the Australian Federal Police-supported UPLIFT program to build the technical backbone needed to manage video evidence.
The commissioner said the decision to delay large-scale deployment was driven by practical concerns: the capacity to store and secure large volumes of footage, systems to manage and retrieve recordings, and the necessity of training officers in use and evidence handling. “We understand that there are a lot of calls for the introduction of body cams, but there are constraints in having the proper enabling infrastructure to store video footage, so we are carrying out assessments to see the best way forward,” he said, adding that the project would also require appropriate funding support.
Tudravu reiterated that issuing cameras is only one part of the equation. In an earlier press conference he outlined that effective use demands established procedures for chain of custody, privacy safeguards, retention schedules and secure storage, alongside comprehensive training so footage can be handled and presented as admissible evidence. Only once legal and operational frameworks are in place, he said, could body cameras play a reliable role in strengthening professionalism, accountability and public trust.
The move follows heightened public debate after viral videos of police operations prompted calls for greater transparency and independent oversight. Advocates argue body-worn cameras can deter misconduct and provide objective records of contentious encounters; police leaders caution that without the right systems in place the technology can create new problems, from unsecured data to unmanageable storage costs.
As the assessments proceed, the AFP-supported UPLIFT program will remain central to upgrading the force’s ICT infrastructure, Mr Tudravu said. The program aims to build the capacity needed to ingest, catalogue and safeguard digital evidence, but the commissioner acknowledged that building such systems will take time and resources. He emphasised the force’s desire to get the implementation right rather than rush into a rollout that could compromise evidentiary integrity or privacy protections.
For now, the Fiji Police Force is focusing on mapping requirements, estimating costs and developing policy, training and technical solutions before committing to procurement and deployment. The commissioner’s comments represent the latest development in an ongoing conversation about modernising policing practices in Fiji while balancing accountability, operational needs and community trust.
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