How to bridge gaps between police, society

Sharjah - Use of social media can contribute significantly to promote the concept of public relations

A forum held in Sharjah on Tuesday stressed the importance of bridging the gap between police and community members.
The experts, who attended the first Public Relations Forum organised by the Sharjah Police, under the slogan "Public relations between the present and the future", suggested effective communication as a tool to change the negative image people have about the police force.
Dr Jassim Khalil Mirza, director of the department of security awareness at the general department of community service at Dubai Police and head of the media coordination and public relations committee at the Ministry of Interior, said that 95 per cent of the old Arabic films portray security officials in bad light. He added that it is the responsibility of the police directors and public relations departments to remove this bad image of the security personnel and police officers.
Be it negative or positive, a final impression will remain in the mind of a person towards individuals, groups or systems, he said. This impression will differ from person to person, based on their lifetime experiences, knowledge and culture.
Dr Mirza, praised the efforts of the Ministry of Interior to improve the mental image of the police force in the country by setting strategic objectives of enhancing security and safety, improving the public confidence in the efficiency of services provided.
Dr Khairat Ayad, director of public relation at College of Communication at University of Sharjah, said use of social media can contribute significantly to promote the concept of public relations and help institutions to highlight their role in the service of society and social responsibilities.
"The UAE has the highest number of Internet users now. It has increased from 753,000 to 8.5 million, a rise of 19.6 per cent, in the last 16 years. The number of Facebook users reached 7.7 million last March, accounting for 82 per cent of the country's population."
Dr Nasr Abdel Qader Osman, professor of public relations at the University of Ajman, said that the information technology has contributed effectively in the development of the functions of public relations departments.
The panelists also pointed out the challenges that they face such as failure in coping with current communication developments, weak budget allocations and specialists in digital public relations.

• UAE