Chief Superintendent of Police Hassan Shifau has graduated from the FBI National Academy in the United States, completing one of the world’s best-known professional development programmes for senior law-enforcement officers.
Shifau completed Session 299 of the academy following 10 weeks of intensive training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
The graduation ceremony was held on September 17, bringing together 265 law-enforcement professionals who completed the latest session.
The graduating class included officers from 44 US states and the District of Columbia, as well as 29 international participants representing 28 countries. Personnel from five military organisations and four federal civilian agencies also took part.
FBI Director Kashyap P. Patel addressed the graduation ceremony, while Darnell Robinson of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, spoke on behalf of the graduating class.
The FBI National Academy is designed primarily for experienced police executives and other senior law-enforcement professionals, with participants generally nominated by their respective agencies.
The programme places particular emphasis on developing leadership skills required to respond to increasingly complex policing and security challenges.
During the 10-week course, Shifau and other participants underwent advanced instruction covering leadership, communication, law, behavioural science, forensic science and physical fitness.
Training is delivered by FBI instructors, special agents and other specialists, combining classroom education with professional and practical development.
The academy also places significant emphasis on international networking and cooperation, bringing senior officers from different jurisdictions together to exchange experiences and approaches to policing.
According to the FBI, participants in the National Academy typically have extensive careers in law enforcement, with attendees averaging around two decades of professional experience.
Graduates can also receive undergraduate and graduate academic credits for eligible coursework through the University of Virginia, an arrangement that has been in place since 1972.
The FBI National Academy has operated for more than nine decades.
It was established in 1935 with an inaugural class of just 23 students as part of efforts to raise professional standards and improve cooperation among law-enforcement agencies.
The programme has since expanded internationally, drawing participants from US states and territories as well as law-enforcement agencies in more than 150 partner countries.
With Session 299 completed, more than 57,000 officers have graduated from the academy since its establishment.
Shifau is a senior officer within the Maldives Police Service and has been involved in several major criminal investigations during his policing career, including investigations that have drawn significant public attention.
His completion of the FBI programme is expected to allow knowledge and experience gained during the training to be shared within the Maldives Police Service, particularly in areas related to leadership, investigative practices and professional policing standards.
Participation in the programme also provides an avenue for strengthening professional relationships between Maldivian law enforcement and overseas agencies, with the National Academy’s international component intended to develop networks among senior officers that continue after graduation.
The Maldives Police Service has increasingly participated in overseas training and capacity-building programmes as part of efforts to strengthen specialist policing capabilities and expose officers to practices used by international law-enforcement agencies.
Shifau’s graduation from Session 299 adds the Maldives to the group of international law-enforcement agencies represented in the latest FBI National Academy class.
