98% of Sharjah, Ajman residents feel safe

Serious crimes have decreased by 58 per cent and drug crimes by 61 per cent in Sharjah.

Proving that the UAE is well on its way to becoming the world's safest, the Sharjah and Ajman Police shared how round-the-clock patrolling and use of smart technologies helped reduce crime rates

Sharjah cops respond to 3.97m emergency calls

Over 98 per cent of Sharjah residents feel safe and secure, thanks to the Sharjah Police who have been "striving to achieve social security in the emirate".

Major-General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police, said their efforts were aligned with the Ministry of Interior's (MoI) objective of making the UAE the safest country in the world.

"Serious crimes have decreased by 58 per cent and drug crimes by 61 per cent in Sharjah. This can be attributed to the intensified police presence in areas that earlier had high crime rates."

Brigadier-General Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, deputy commander-in chief of the Sharjah Police, said: "In emergency situations, Sharjah residents received help from the police in a standard response time of 9.6 minutes. Urgent intervention was provided by the Sharjah Police in 3.97 million calls, out of over 240 million calls received over the 999 and 901 hotlines."

Brig-Gen Amer added that the Sharjah Police achieved a 96.6 per cent increase in customer satisfaction, among residents and visitors who required police services. "A total of 5,120 senior citizens and people with determination were also transported to the hospitals." Besides ensuring that emergencies are responded to and residents feel secure, the Sharjah Police also managed to "resolve 6,210 cases and repay Dh313.2 million to creditors as part of 'Reconciliation to solve disputes' initiative in 2018", the officer said.

Dr Khalifa Kalender, director of the police stations department at Sharjah Police general headquarters, said the reconciliation initiative had achieved its goals.

"As part of the initiative, Al Buhaira, Al Gharb and Hira police stations resolved 5,167 disputes in 2016. In 2017, these police stations resolved 6,923 cases, restoring Dh347.8 million to complainants.

"The initiative helped solve financial disputes and reduce bounced cheque cases. It also contributed to reducing files referred to the public prosecution and courts," he added.

How Sharjah went the extra mile

In the emirate, everyone is entitled to a sense of security: including those who are behind bars. The Sharjah Punitive and Reformatory Establishments (SPRE) has launched a number of initiatives to provide relief to inmates and their families. These include the following:

> Sanad initiative: A total of Dh17.5 million was paid to settle the debts of 232 inmates in collaboration with charity organisations

> Giving Hope initiative: Health, social and educational services were provided to 111 children of inmates

> Illness Recovery initiative: 60 detained drug addicts were enrolled in a counselling programme

Ajman installs 100,000 cameras

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com