‘Neighbourhood police’ initiative planned in Dubai

He made the announcement at a ceremony held to honour the winners of the Minister of Interior’s Excellence Awards at the Dubai Police Headquarters. As many as 110 Dubai Police officers were honoured.

Under the new initiative, the policemen’s role at the local level would be activated with them interacting closely with the residents of the areas where the officers also live. This would help the officers learn about the problems as and when they rear their head and provide the required assistance fast.

The ‘neighbourhood police’ would be launched after Eid Al Fitr after chalking out the objectives and ways of implementation and putting the required mechanism in place to ensure its success. It will be first implemented in areas densely populated by UAE nationals. Later, it will be extended to other areas.

Lt-Gen Dhahi Khalfan said, “The Dubai Police are keen to enhance their public relationship which will be based on respect, not fear… The police as civil servants should respect people.” The initiative will enhance police work and provide standard services to the public, he added.

Using force as a tactic is bound to fail. “What happened in some parts of the Arab world is a proof of this… We should behave like our Rulers who have been close to the people.

“People either love or hate the police. Earning the people’s respect is the best way to achieve security.”

He called on the police to watch their behaviour, “deal nicely with the people and strictly with the criminals”. —news@khaleejtimes.com