Minister Ihusan spoke at Maldives Police Service's four year strategic plan inauguration ceremony and stressed on the need for the agency to produce results and improve its services amidst the big budget given to the agency by the government.
MVR 4 from every MVR 100 in the state's budget goes towards Maldives Police Service, and as such, the agency must produce results, said Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan today.
Speaking at Maldives Police Service (MPS)'s four year strategic plan inauguration ceremony held today, Minister Ihusan said that as minister, his role is to ensure police comply with this plan, and that the biggest objective of MPS should be to implement the requirements of the plan and produce results.
He went on to details that the government roughly spends about MVR 2 billion on policing and that this is four percent of the entire state budget, meaning MVR 4 from every MVR 100 in the budget is directed to the agency.
When such a big expense is dedicated towards MPS, the services provided should be of good quality, he said.
He also stressed that police will have the authority to independently implement the objectives laid out in the strategic plan. Police should take the initiative and be accountable, he added.
The minister added that, "today's government will not influence any one of you to treat a certain person a certain way. So, Maldivian police have the full authority to implement the law without discriminating.
"It is a habit amongst us to dump responsibilities onto the other person. We need to rid ourselves of this [behaviour]."
Highlighting that reducing gang crimes in the country is one of the biggest priorities within the police strategic plan, Minister Ihusan said that the government's aim should be to entirely eliminate all gang presence in the country by the end of the next four years.
The true aim of police should be to build a community that does not commit crime, rather than working to reduce crime, the minister said.
According to Homeland Security Ministry, the plan will focus on five key areas including:
- Eliminating crime and fear associated with crime
- Strengthening the relationship between police and society
- Upgrading the physical infrastructure, technology and other facilities to improve the service of MPS
- Review and improve internal departments, systems, process, regulations, policies and procedures of MPS, and
- Make MPS an agency which provides transparent, professional services and one that is entirely accountable
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