Policing the COVID-19 Pandemic: Police and Public Perceptions of Enforcement of Health Protocols in the Fiji Islands

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global health security concern (World Health Organization, 2020), and governments have called upon police agencies to assist control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This study looks at the new roles performed by police agencies in the context of the Fiji Islands. This study addresses two main research questions. Firstly, what are the issues and challenges faced by police officers when carrying out their COVID-19 duties? Secondly, what is the public perceptions of police officers’ effectiveness in enforcing COVID-19 health protocols? This study has utilized a mixed-method approach based on qualitative interviews with police officers and a quantitative survey of the public. The police officers' interviews reveal that police performed new health duties and ground-level police faced several challenges. The public survey findings reveal that most people were happy with police performance. We conclude by discussing the policy implications of our findings on police practice and the agenda for future comparative research in small island countries so that SIDs can learn from each other.