Fiji Police Force

The Beginning: The Armed Native Constabulary The Fiji Police Force as it exists today was created by the new Colonial Administration when the first officers were appointed by notice in the Royal Gazette dated 10th October 1874, and the ADC to the Governor was appointed Superintendent of police. He was Lieutenant Henry Olive of the Royal Marine Light Infantry and although he had no previous experience of policies duties he was ideally suited to the job of training the men who were destined to become the Armed Native Constabulary (ANC). The Gazette issue made several appointments but none was to affect the police more than that of Henry Olive. After the ceremonial signing of the Deed of Cession the flag of the Cakobau Government was; lowered and the raising of the Union flag signified the entry of Fiji into the British Empire. Lieutenant Olive had spent much time with the ANC (Armed Native Constabulary, the new name of the Royal Army) until 1906, when it was abolished; it would be described as a military, and not a Police Force, but was always commanded by a police officer. Four Different Classes of Police There were in fact different classes of police The ANC, known to Fijian as Sotia The Regular Police in Levuka and Suva The rural police reporting to District Commissioners and The village police responsible to the turaganikoro (village headman) Uniforms were similarfor lower ranks, while isulu Tavatava worn with a blue collarless tunic, patterned after the original Chinese blouse uniform worn by the first recruits. Only the buttons were different. Those of the sotia were brass while the ovisa, as all other police were called, wore silver buttons.