Community policing introduced with neighbourhood support officers

The Maldives police announced Monday a new initiative to introduce community policing with neighbourhood support officers assigned for the capital city and its suburb islands.

Malé will be divided into four neighbourhoods, while Hulhumalé will have three and the smaller Villimalé will be considered as one neighbourhood, Mohamed Hameed, the new acting commissioner of police, told the press.

Neighborhood policing is a community-oriented policing strategy that focuses on police officers building ties with members of the public.

The neighborhood support officers will be high-ranking police officers who will command patrolling teams. Contact details will be shared with their neighbourhoods, Hameed said.

“The main aim of this is to ensure that the neighborhood support officer can take care of the neighborhood and that the patrol teams can [work while] engaging with the public,” he said at Monday’s press briefing.

The new strategy will help police become “proactive” within their neighbourhoods, he added.

“This is actually the main fundamental of policing. Our service is to work closely with the public and as part of the public,” he said.