The police in Fiji say a drop in crime shows its church crusade is working, and its expenditure of 8-thousand US dollars on a conference of pastors is justified.
Almost 300 pastors from Christian denominations are attending the three-day conference which began in Labasa in Wednesday.
The Northern Police spokesperson Mika Cabealawa admits the police are spending "quite a bit of money" on the conference, through the provision of accomodation, food, and transport for the pastors.
But he says its money well spent as bringing in pastors to preach the word of God to criminals has already proven successful.
"We receive many response that our mission has been effective, that people have been changed. Example from last year we receive 240 reports, from this year we just receiving only 68 reports, that's in the middle of the year. That's why we hosting this conference."
Mika Cabealawa says the old community policing approach was more expensive and failed
