Maldives Police Service (MPS) has held a flag hoisting ceremony on its 89th anniversary.
The ceremony commenced with the raising of the flag in front of the Police Headquarters. Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla and Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed were present during the ceremony, as well as deputy police commissioners, officers, and civil servants.
It is the first customary flag hoisting ceremony MPS has held since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Flag hoisting ceremonies were also held at the police stations in the islands in the presence of atoll police commanders, senior local officials, and employees at the police stations.
Commissioner Mohamed Hameed, in a written statement on the occasion, sent greetings and well wishes to all previous and current employees and officers of MPS.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the Police Service Act in 2020, establishing the fundamental principles, guidelines, roles, and other aspects concerning police officers, aiming to streamline policing in the country by ensuring adherence to the constitution. The act also promotes professional standards within the police force and paves the way for the establishment of community-based policing services under a decentralised system of governance.
President Solih also established the Police Board, as per section 75(a) of the Police Service Act. The act mandates the formation of a seven-member Police Board to assist in matters of appointing the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police and advice ministers and relevant authorities on police matters. The board consists of two members appointed by the president, three members who are experts from the relevant fields, and two members appointed to represent the general public.
Furthermore, President Solih has stated the government aims to establish a police presence in all inhabited islands in the Maldives, to address the rise in crime in the atolls. As such, the Ministry of Home Affairs has announced a project to build 61 police stations will begin in April this year.
The police service was established in the Maldives in 1933 by Sultan Mohamed Shamsudhdheen and the Maldives Police Service was formed under the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2004.