Ihsan says public confidence in police declined since democracy
Ihsan said that institutions such as the police had experienced a decline in public perception, attributing this partly to political behaviour.
Minister of Homeland Security Ali Ihsan has said that the reputation of the Maldives Police Service has declined since the introduction of democracy.
He made the remarks while responding to a public question during the fifth session of the 'Ahaa Forum', a platform where government ministers respond to queries from the public.
A participant asked the minister about efforts to maintain public confidence in the police institution. In response, Ihsan said that institutions such as the police had experienced a decline in public perception, attributing this partly to political behaviour.
He said that political figures often criticised the police when in opposition but changed their stance once in government.
“When everyone is in opposition, they criticise the police for political reasons. But when the same people come to power, they no longer see any issues with the police,” Ihsan said.
The minister estimated that two-thirds of the loss in public confidence in the police was due to political factors, while the remaining portion was due to gaps in professional service delivery.
Ihsan also noted that when the current administration took office, there were approximately 1,000 untrained officers in the police force. He said that number has since been reduced and efforts are being made to train police personnel to deliver services more effectively.
“Our objective is to produce trained and professional officers who can serve the public. That is now being achieved,” he said.
The minister also stated that improvements were being made to speed up police services and investigations.
“When someone reports a case, it should be dealt with efficiently. We are working to improve the quality of work, technical capabilities, and investigative procedures to shape a police force that is responsive and professional,” Ihsan said.
He added that efforts were underway to increase police presence across communities in the Maldives.
“We are deploying more officers on the streets and expanding into all islands to ensure public safety,” he said.
Addressing the political context, Ihsan urged politicians to refrain from using law enforcement institutions for political purposes.
“There should be political competition and debate. However, important state institutions should not be involved,” he said.
