Police in Atiu say they are stepping up and prioritising efforts to monitor cannabis cultivation on the island following the arrest of a man earlier this year who was found planting cannabis.

Senior Constable Tuaine Rakei, who has been in charge of the police station in Atiu for 18 years, told Cook Islands News that while crime on the island is generally low, the cannabis case has prompted closer surveillance.

“The worst one we’ve had for so many years was this year,” Rakei said. “There’s a guy that was arrested for planting cannabis on the island. He was transferred to Rarotonga. So, waiting for his court case.”

The case the senior constable referred to involved a man being arrested in February after Atiu police discovered cannabis plants near a makeshift nursery located inland. At the time, several plants were confiscated and destroyed, and police warned residents against cultivating cannabis.

Rakei said the incident was the first of its kind that he has encountered on the island.

“At the moment, to be honest, that’s the first one I found out on the island,” he said.

Rakei confirmed that since the arrest, he and his colleague — the island’s only two police officers — have been actively monitoring the area to prevent similar incidents.

“Yes definitely,” he said when asked if the issue was now a priority. “So, it’s my duty to check around. Both of us are always going around to inspect and monitor things like that so that it doesn’t escalate.”

The police station in Atiu. The island has only two police officers. TALAIA MIKA/25062013

Despite being the only two police officers on Atiu, Rakei said the low population makes the job manageable.

“It’s only two staff on the island including myself,” he said. “No, two is enough. Now, the population here is really low, at the moment it’s 383, that’s from last year and this year.”

Rakei, who has served in the Cook Islands Police for 25 years and is now 60, said crime on the island is mostly minor.

The most common crimes on the island are traffic-related, domestic disputes and occasional thefts, he said.

“It’s not that bad really, we only have minor incidents on the island, like traffic offences, many traffic offences, those underage, but not many human accidents on the road. It’s only once or twice an accident, it’s not that serious,” he said.

Rakei also shared details of a recent firearms licence renewal project conducted in partnership with police in Rarotonga.

“We just finished, (it took) two days. The officer from Rarotonga came over here to renew our licence for firearm, those who had expired firearm licence,” he said.

The renewal was necessary to support a local planting project aimed at controlling the island’s wild pig population.

“You know, in Atiu, there’s been wild pigs around the island. So, he asked to renew our licence for safety to plant and protect from wild pigs,” Rakei explained.

He added that two more renewals are pending but overall, “it’s all good”.