Karkh police chief pushes security and reform agenda in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Major General Adnan Hasan Hamid, head of Baghdad's Karkh Police Directorate, is carrying out a broad security and institutional reform drive across the western district, focusing on stabilizing security and restructuring the force. According to the directorate, he has prioritized anti-corruption measures and reorganized the command structure, a process it said drew counter-campaigns in the media from certain interest groups in the area. The directorate said infrastructure projects at the headquarters have been accelerated, alongside the integration of modern technology and electronic systems, and that oversight commissions and inspection boards are operating at a faster pace. Monthly security briefings are being held to drive down crime rates, intelligence plans are being updated, and the field deployment of emergency response units is being tracked directly. Rapid-response patrols have been redeployed across Karkh to shorten response times, and field visits have been conducted to repair workshops to expand logistical capacity. Coordinated security plans with other agencies have been implemented during religious visitation periods to protect millions of pilgrims moving through the district, the directorate said. Intelligence-led operations continue against terrorist cells and uncontrolled arms and militia networks, and thousands of investigation files accumulated over previous years have been processed through legal channels in a short period.