Implementation of the Maldives Police Service Strategic Plan

Maldives Police ServiceThe Workshop and Stakeholder MeetingsA workshop and interviews were held to gather additional insights into the implementation ofthe 2007-2011 Strategic Plan. Once the survey findings were collated, CHRI and MDN held a daylongworkshop in Malé on 5 September 2011 with key stakeholders including the police, lawyers,NGOs, activists, donor communities and independent institutions such as the Human RightsCommission of the Maldives (HRCM) and Police Integrity Commission (PIC). This was followed byone-to-one interviews with select stakeholders including:•z Mr Ahmed Tholal, Member, Human Rights Commission of the Maldives•z Ms Jeehan Mahmood, Member, Human Rights Commission of the Maldives•z Ms Shahinda Ismail, President, Police Integrity Commission•z Dr Hala Hameed, Member, Police Integrity Commission•z Mr Shamun Hameed, Director, Investigations Department, Human Rights Commissionof the Maldives•z Ms Aminath Naazneen, Access to Justice Programme Specialist, UNDP, the Maldives•z Mr Hassan Afeef, Minister of Home Affairs, Republic of Maldives•z Mr Ahmed Muiz, Prosecutor General, Republic of Maldives.The main objectives of the workshop and the interviews were: first, to gain additional insightsinto the survey data and findings regarding the implementation of the Strategic Plan; second, togenerate recommendations for the process of strategic planning by the police; and third, to facilitateinteraction between the police and civil society in the interest of increased mutual understanding.At the workshop, the survey (police compliance and community perception) findings and detailsof the Strategic Plan were summarised and presented under different themes – police responseto crime and changes in police functioning. The main aims were to identify the gap between thePlan and the survey findings, discuss the factors explaining the gaps and identify measures toovercome them. Discussions, inputs, debates, suggestions, comments during the course of theworkshop are incorporated in various forms in the report as analysis.LimitationsResearch for this report suffers from two major weaknesses. First, since this is CHRI and MDN’sfirst survey using the HRDs, the selected sample had to be realistic. Within this small sample size,respondents were chosen on a random sampling basis. This runs the risk of over generalising thesurvey findings, particularly for the community survey. To some extent, the aim of the workshopwas to test the veracity of the survey findings with a group of people who regularly engage withpolicing issues. Nonetheless, the survey data is assumed to be reliable and accurate. Second, eventhough the police leadership supported the survey and participated in the workshop, we wereunable to secure interviews with senior police officers including the Commissioner and the Headof the Strategic Focus Unit in charge of formulating the Strategic Plan. Despite several requests,the police did not give us an appointment. As a result, analysis of police internal procedures andpractices is based on our interviews with other stakeholders and media reports.Apart from these, a few minor issues, such as the language barrier and the inability to cover all atolls mayalso find a bearing on the report but only partially. Regarding language, care was taken to ensure thatthe essence of the survey questions was not shifted during translation between English to Dhivehi.8Strategic Plan 2007-2011: An Analysis