Police launch awareness drive to end knife fights

Dubai: In line with its efforts to end knife fights among the youth, Dubai Police yesterday launched an awareness campaign targeting schoolchildren and their parents.

The campaign was announced by Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department at the Dubai Police, who stressed that possession of a knife may be used as evidence of criminal intent and result in stricter punishment.

"The use of knives is unreasonable behaviour that people who lack social and psychological stability use to solve conflict and express their reaction to any issue no matter how small," he said.

Al Mansouri highlighted the role of the family and other social establishments in disciplining the individual by encouraging children to reject violence and solve their conflicts through dialogue and proper communication.

He said the authorities are considering a legislation that bans the import, sale and use of non-household-use knives such as swords.

Patrols

Police will increase patrols in residential areas where the youth tend to gather and arrest anyone carrying a knife to curb this trend before a crime is committed.

Head of the campaign, Lieutenant Colonel Ahmad Humaid Al Merri, said the campaign will start with lectures in 10 high schools and 10 preparatory schools to spread awareness about the dangers of carrying knives and the importance of working to put an end to knife attacks.

In 2011, there were 17 reports of knife attacks by minors, while a total of 60 minors and adults were accused in knife attack cases, compared to 21 reports and 81 people accused in 2010.

After the alarming increase in cases in 2010 from just five reports and 27 people involved in 2009, police started cracking down on this behaviour, which resulted in the drop in 2011, and although most attacks resulted in minor injuries, a young man was killed in a fight in Rashidiya last year, which prompted police to step up awareness efforts, Al Merri said.

Another phenomenon targeted by the campaign is obscene graffiti and writing on walls.

"Graffiti is an indicator of gangsters marking their territories, which we try to combat from a security point by educating these youngsters," Al Merri said.

Unstable families

One thing that all these youngsters have in common is that they come from unstable families.

"In many cases, children spend long hours watching bloody films and playing violent video games, which is one of the main causes of resorting to physical strength, rather than dialogue, to solve any conflict," Al Merri said.