Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla has stated that the Maldives plays a key role in global security due to its location in the Indian Ocean region. He made the remark at the ceremony held to inaugurate the Centre of Excellence for Public Safety.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Imran said that the Maldives has a small population and land area but is located in a key strategic position, meaning that the country plays a large role in apprehending criminals operating in the region and ensuring global security. He highlighted that any criminal activity in the country's ocean territory will have consequences in other parts of the region.
Additionally, Minister Imran noted the efforts made in the past five years to increase the capabilities of the Maldives Police Service (MPS). He said that technological innovations have been implemented in identifying criminals and reducing crime. He added that the Centre of Excellence for Public Safety will assist the police service in quickly responding to criminal activities and ensuring the safety and security of the public.
The Centre of Excellence for Public Safety was established as part of the efforts of MPS to adapt to rapid advancements in technology and digitisation, providing an effective and efficient service to the nation and ensuring the well-being of its citizens. The centre incorporates artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, to proactively identify the potential harm to society, thereby effectively ensuring public safety. This includes customised annotations to incorporate the Maldivian language into machine learning aspects, the use of analytical tools to identify potential security risks, enhance investigative capabilities and tackle challenges presented by cyber threats, in real-time, to ensure the risks and threats to society is negated.
An exponential part of the technical aspect of the Centre of Excellence for Public Safety was facilitated by Presight, a big data analytics company powered by AI, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). MPS has conveyed gratitude to the government of the UAE and Presight for their support and guidance provided through the establishment of the centre.