Results of Police efforts not apparent due to systemic issues: CP

Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau has said today that Police are doing extensive work to resolve many problems in the community, but that there efforts remain unapparent due to issues in the system.

Responding to a question posed to him at today's meeting of the Parliament's Committee on National Security Services, Shujau said that even if the issue of illegal drugs is considered, the issue can only be completely resolved through the collaboration of all State institutions.

Shujau said that with police being first responders, their responsibility is also bigger. However, he questioned where the responsibility lies with the rest of the State institutions after this point.

"How many cases of thieves in Male' are with the PG? How many cases are at the court? Where are the people who the court have already passed sentences on? Unless solutions are found for all of this, this will not be resolved regardless of how much we talk about this," he said.

Shujau further said that the laws need to amended with the Maldives in context. As an example, he said that even when considering traffic offences, it is seen that their is no resolution to the issue due to systemic issues despite how much effort Police puts into it.

Shujau said that challenges in implementing the Police Act has been talked about for the past ten years.

"No institution has determined the vehicle age. The number of vehicles that can be registered in this small space of Male' has not been determined. Even at this moment, if I have an identity card, I can get a motorcycle from any of the sellers in Male'. Just need to give an identity card and one thousand rufiya," he said.

He said that every night, Police are out on the streets towing illegally parked vehicles, but he said that this too is being done by taking an FAM field.

Shujau pointed out that police are not policy makers, but are there for implementation, asking why laws cannot be drafted for these matters.

"The Police will continue doing what we are supposed to. Police will not stay in," he said.

He maintains that the issues cannot be resolved unless institutions begin working collaboratively and setting up a system through which issues can be readily addressed.