Meet the woman leading Dubai Police's crime scene team

Dubai - She's 22 years old.

At 22, Lt Khadijah Al Balooshi is making waves in a job many think is only for men. She would painstakingly examine dead bodies, or scan a house for a burglar’s fingerprints. Where there is crime, she would be there to get to the truth. She is the first Emirati woman to lead the crime scene investigation (CSI) team of the Dubai Police.

Her duty in the CSI, which comes under the force’s General Department of Forensics and Criminology, is yet another proof that nothing is impossible for a woman in the UAE. Lt Al Balooshi had just joined the Dubai Police a few months ago in a department that in many countries is still an exclusive preserve for men.

Was she daunted by the job description?

“When I took up the role, I said to myself, why not? I’ve always loved to work in a position that helps me find clues and uncover the truth and make the society a better place to live in,” she said.

In retrospect, she said, she had always wanted to work for the General Department of Forensics and Criminology. It was a dream that she cherished while studying at the Dubai Police Academy.

Lt Al Balooshi is also the first woman from her family to work for the police. With a supportive family in a nation that champions women empowerment, she knew she could turn a big dream into reality.

“I’m fortunate to live in a country that appreciated women’s role in society. I wanted to take up this challenge to become the first Emirati woman to lead a CSI team,” she said.

Lt Al Balooshi graduated in July 2020 amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the cancellation of the graduation ceremony. She persisted with her dreams, despite the contagion challenge and undertook several training sessions and practical courses, which, eventually, helped her qualify for the position.

She mastered the task of managing crime scenes, from collecting evidence and ensuring they are not tampered with to analysing and identifying blood types.

“My skill sets improved tremendously because of the rigorous training sessions. I gather more experience as I interacted with my colleagues. My superiors have an innate faith in my ability as a professional,” she said.

The 22-year-old lieutenant may just have started her career but she has already handled some key cases and proved how good she is at job.

One of the cases she had worked on was about a woman in her 30s, who her roommates had claimed died of natural causes. But she looked into every detail and uncovered the true story. She found out that the woman died of drug overdose. The corpse had tell-tale needle marks on her arms, which proved that she was involved in intravenous drug abuse.

“I wrote the report about the incident and submitted it to the General Department of Anti-Narcotics, helping them conduct an investigation and ascertain all the details needed for the case,” she added.

She also worked on a burglary at a villa. With the boxes she found on the floor of a room, they were able to lift fingerprints that matched with a suspect.