Hameed warns frequent change of police chief may affect public trust
Hameed made the comments after the most recent Police Commissioner, Ismail Naveen, retired on Wednesday after serving for about six months.
Former Police Commissioner Mohamed Hameed said on Wednesday that frequent changes in the post of police commissioner could weaken public confidence in the police service.
Hameed made the comments after the most recent Police Commissioner, Ismail Naveen, retired on Wednesday after serving for about six months.
Before Naveen, the post was held by Ali Shujau, who was appointed on 25 December 2023 and resigned on 26 April 2025, less than two years later.
Writing on his personal blog, Hameed said that rapid changes in leadership make it difficult to maintain a consistent direction within the police service and lead to frequent changes in policy.
“The police service must rely on a sustainable direction,” Hameed wrote.
He said repeated leadership changes could create uncertainty within the force and raise concerns about whether promotions are based on professional standards or political connections.
Hameed said this situation could affect public trust, with people questioning whether the police are operating in the national interest or to serve political objectives.
He also noted that the authority to appoint the police commissioner was transferred to a police board to protect the institution from political influence. However, he alleged that the current government is seeking to weaken the police board by reducing its powers.
