Implementation of the Maldives Police Service Strategic Plan

Maldives Police Serviceexisting and emerging policing needs of an area. These can then be taken into considerationby the officer-in-charge of the police station while preparing the annual Policing Strategyand Action Plan for the jurisdiction before submitting the Plan to the police chief.5. Engage with the local administration in promoting awareness about police strategies:Another way in which the police can reach out to the people is through a tie up with thenew decentralised system of administration in the Maldives. In lieu of Chapter 8 of theMaldivian Constitution and subsequently the Decentralisation Act of 2010, local councilshave been set up for general administration in the islands and atolls. Unlike earlier, whenatoll chiefs were appointed by the central government, elections were held for the first timein early 2011 to elect council members. The police can enter into an arrangement to holdconsultations on community needs and concerns through these local councils.6. Enhance transparency in the Maldives Police’s functioning: Several stakeholders raisedconcern over a lack of knowledge over the police functioning. Both Strategic Plans areunavailable on the police website. In fact, in our workshop, there were strong disagreementsbetween the participants and the police over the priority concerns listed in the new StrategicPlan. Till then, this was not shared even with the key stakeholders in the Maldives. Unlessthe police share the findings of community perception surveys that they claim to conduct,suspicion and fear of the police is likely to linger. It is therefore urged that the police sharestheir reports and survey findings on their website.7. Increase Awareness within the Maldives Police Service: Another strong concern voicedduring the discussions was the lack of awareness and understanding among the frontlineofficers about the priorities and standards laid down in the Plan. The frontline officers arethe first point of contact for the people, and unless their knowledge of crime trends andsocial concerns within their jurisdiction is tapped into, the policing priorities will suffer fromlack of ownership within the organisation. It must be the duty of the police station heads tocommunicate standards and guidelines to ensure every officer under them is fully aware.8. Greater emphasis on behavioural and attitudinal reform in the training imparted to policeofficers: Inadequate training of police officers was cited as one of the main concerns by thecivil society participants in our workshop, particularly while dealing with victims of crimes.Alongside increasing awareness about the strategies and laws governing police action, it isequally important to reform inter-personal communication skills, stress management andpersonal attitudes and prejudices. Such training is an important measure to enhance positiveattitudes and healthy behaviour, which in turn will help improve police professionalism.9. Improve the mechanism for evaluation and performance monitoring: The Strategic Plansuffered from a lack of periodic evaluations. A regular assessment of the progress of projectsand an evaluation of their outcomes and impact are essential for the success of any plan.The second Strategic Plan 2011-2013 lays down a quarterly evaluation cycle whichincludes a midyear conference, a staff survey and an end of year conference to review theimplementation of strategic projects. The details of these must be made publicly available.This will help people to better understand the working of the police and eventually helpbuild trust in the institution. Public surveys can also be a useful tool to evaluate policeperformance and achievement of Plan objectives, and these surveys must be included in the38Strategic Plan 2007-2011: An Analysis