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Crime victims get full police care under ‘Tawasol’

DUBAI - The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Dubai Police has been following up 147 cases in a special programme to help crime victims, which started last month, officials have said.

The programme, called ‘Tawasol’, is aimed at offering assistance to individuals who are victims of criminal activities. The programme was activated on the instructions of Lieutenant-General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police. It is being supervised by the Preventive Planning Section at the CID.

“This programme is one of the most important humanitarian (assistance) programmes that gives victims full care. It provides them with information on legal procedures and details on their cases in all stages (of litigation).

“We even accompany them to cases where there is a need for that,” said Brigadier Khamis Mattar Al Mazainah, director of the CID.

He said the Preventive Planning Section started work with victims in July. The 147 cases include 31 cases at Bur Dubai police station, 69 at Naif police station, nine at Muraggabat police station, 22 at Rifa police station, nine at Ghusais police station and one case at Hatta police station.

“We are in the process of implementing this programme on an electronic basis, to be able to follow up all procedures from police stations and the Preventive Security Administration,” Brig. Al Mazainah said, adding their basic aim was to assist victims.

Major Tareq Mohammed Noor Tahlak, head of the Preventive Planning Section, which operates under the Preventive Security Administration, said helping the victims applies to all criminal cases.

He said the victim in a given case would be given information, certificates and documents that are available in case files at any police station, and measures are coordinated to help him or her at police stations, the public prosecution or the courts.

The programme also helps victims in cases that require help from psychiatrists or cooperation with other agencies in the UAE.

“It is being implemented by social service sections at our police stations,” said Maj. Tahlak. “We ensure continuous follow-up and the registration of all details till a judgment is given by a court of law,” he added. A weekly report is sent to the Preventive Security Administration on individual cases to ensure that measures taken by the police station are supervised.

A monthly evaluation of the performance of the programme is also carried out and submitted to the CID.

Officials said a recently concluded project to fathom the opinions of Dubai residents on security has shown that 84.4 per cent of people “feel secure and safe”.

The survey showed the importance of the police efforts in opening files at all police stations to “take care of crime victims”.

The officials said the cases were followed up on a weekly basis.

In addition to this programme, Dubai Police also launched “Victims Care Programme” in recent months, which was introduced by the Human Rights Department at Dubai Police to help prisoners. That programme received high praise from regional and international institutions.