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Sharjah police draw SCC flak

SHARJAH — The Sharjah Police have come in for criticism from the Sharjah Consultative Council (SCC) following an increase in the number of thefts and burglaries in the emirate.

During a meeting on Wednesday, SCC members pointed out that there was absence of police patrol in some areas, delays in responding to emergencies and demands from the public for demolition and replacement of high-ranking police officers.

The members said that such acts would affect the officers' morale and their performance. In case of demotions, they would have to take orders from officers of lower ranks, they added.

The members also asked the police official about the security plan to supervise the old residential areas and the implementation of Emiratisation in the directorate, sections and stations. The efforts in curbing car thefts, drugs consumption among teenagers and in promoting modesty was also among the main queries presented by the members.

They discussed the situation at the Sharjah Jail which is crowded with inmates. The situation of mentally ill people among the detainees at the jail is no less important, they said.

One of the members made a video presentation which highlighted public opinion about the late response of the emergency team when they dial 999 for help.

Talking about the achievements of the police during 2005 and enhancing the security service during this year, Brigadier Salih Al Mutawa, Director-General of Sharjah Police, said his department witnessed tremendous changes and development which made a great positive impact on the security in the emirate.

"The changes include increasing manpower with the hiring of around 591 trained personnel. The number of Anjad patrol cars has also been increased. Operation rooms will be soon set up in Kalba, Khorfakkan and Dibba," he said, adding: "The department has also planned installing surveillance cameras and increasing the number of ambulances in these areas during the second stage of the development plan."

Brig. Al Mutawa said the department has embarked on a strategy to enhance security services in the emirate to be achieved during 2006. The plans include enhancing the performance of the employees and officers by providing them training, he said. Security programmes aimed at preventing crimes and enhancing the follow-up and surveillance systems in all the police centres, are also on the cards, he added.

Brig. Al Mutawa stressed that the police department is ready to face challenges thrown up by the rapid construction and expansion in the emirate in particular and the country in general.

He said that a new huge jail will soon be constructed at a cost of Dh20 million near the sixth interchange of Sharjah to accommodate large number of inmates and solve the problem of the crowding in the present jail.

With regard to the arbitrary replacement of the high-rank officers, he said: "When we transfer high-ranking officers from their administrative positions, we transfer them with the same salary and rank. We replace them because they fail to improve themselves in their position. The low-ranking officers could improve themselves in these administrative positions even better than those in the high cadres," he said.

But if the performance of a high-ranking officer was OK, he would not be replaced. "I have 400 officers and want to give them a chance in various tasks of the police," he said.

Brigadier Mohammed Al Mazloum, Director of the Reformation and Punitive Establishments, denied that mentally-ill people are accommodated along with the criminals in the same cells. He stressed that the mentally-ill people are kept in separate cells till they get deported to their home countries.

Brigadier Humaid Al Hadeedi, Director of the Investigation Department, said these burglaries were conducted by a gang which was nabbed by Dubai Police in coordination with Sharjah Police.