Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed has stated Maldives Police Service (MPS) made significant strides in 2019 in the efforts to gain the trust and confidence of the public.
Speaking on the occasion of the 87th anniversary of the establishment of police service in Maldives, the commissioner highlighted the achievements of MPS in 2019 in the efforts to gain the confidence of the public. Noting the report of crimes and the rate at which cases are sent for prosecution are important indicators of the performance of MPS, the commissioner stated while the number of reported cases increased last year, majority of the cases were sent for prosecution. In this regard, he noted the number of reported cases in the past 12 months increases by 9.73% compared to the previous 12 months, while the number of cases sent for prosecution increased by 22.8%.
Speaking further, Commissioner Hameed highlighted the efforts of police in ensuring child rights protection and eliminating domestic violence. In this regard, the commissioner noted a victim support mechanism has been developed to protect and assist victims of violence. He also stated the short term and long term objectives in eliminating domestic violence and child rights violations have been identified, while plans are being executed to achieve these objectives.
The commissioner also stated significant strides were made in 2019 with regards to eliminating terrorism and religious extremism. He said a number of different groups and individuals responsible for promoting such ideologies were identified last year, adding the efforts against terrorism and religious extremism will continue this year as well.
Noting the 87th anniversary of the establishment of police service in the country is being celebrated at a time a State of Health Emergency has been declared in the nation, Commissioner Hameed assured MPS will not hesitate to do anything which is required to ensure the safety and well-being of Maldivian citizens during this time of crisis. He urged the public to follow the instructions of Health Protection Agency (HPA) and medical professionals in order to overcome the current situation.