The announcement of a 7,000-strong undercover morality police force in Tehran has been met with wide domestic criticism. Tehran’s police chief, Hossein Sajedinia, defended the decision and attempted to downplay fears that the force would focus on reporting poorly veiled women.

“Creating calm and security in the country, especially in Tehran, is what the people expect from the police,” Sajedinia said April 21. He added that “moral security” is not only concerned with women’s veiling but also other social harms such as drug abuse, theft, drug smuggling and gangs of violent criminals.

Regarding fears that the new force would turn into a rogue group of plainclothes officers harassing Iranians on the street, Sajedinia said, “In the case that a crime is witnessed, they will only give the necessary information to police centers and under no conditions will the officers confront anyone face to face.”

Sajedinia added that the undercover officers meet strict predetermined criteria and will operate under the full supervision of the police department. He also said that the police would coordinate all the force's activities with the judiciary. Addressing concerns about the possible misuse of power by the undercover officers, Sajedinia said that Iranians who wish to file a complaint would be able to call the police department and that their complaints would be addressed in the “shortest possible amount of time.”