The Police Research and Innovation 2023 Conference Has Begun

18^th March 2023- The police research and innovation 2023 conference has inaugurated at Dharubaaruge this Saturday morning. The three-day conference is hosted by Maldives Police Service in partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Police Board. The President His Excellency Ibrahim Mohamed Solih attended the inauguration ceremony accompanied by other senior government officials and representatives of relevant authorities and organizations.

Speaking at the inaugural session, the President spoke about the enhancements made to policing with the all-new Maldives Police Service Act enacted in 2021. Reflecting on this, he stated that the comprehensive enforcement of the law relies on the relationship and cooperation between the police and the community. In this regard, President Solih added that a strong link of mutual trust has to exist between the police and the community they serve to maintain public safety and effective policing.

The President also highlighted some of the efforts undertaken during his administration to modernize and promote community-based policing and noted the great strides made in the past five years. The President recognized that the administration’s policy is to promote and enhance community-based policing and on this note acknowledged that frontline police officers now use body-worn cameras and will soon be utilizing tasers in their service as well.

Shedding light on the National College of Policing and Law Enforcement incepted in Addu City, the President iterated that it plays a crucial role in developing the police service. He further went on to describe the institution as a step forward in building educated and trained law enforcement officers in the country. This initiative also aligns with reforming and modernizing the police force- which is a pledge of this administration.

Spotlighting the conference, President Solih noted that it was a pioneering conference in the history of policing in the Maldives. The key targets of the conference are to modernize policing and speak about the importance of dialogue and experience backed by academic research to ensure a fruitful outcome. The conference would see the presentation of 10 academic papers on various topics related to modernising and enhancing policing.