Dubai: More than 650 complaints were handled by the complaints section of Dubai Police’s Rights and Freedoms Protection department between January and September this year.

The section, which is part of the Department of Human Rights, receives and looks into all complaints made by the public against Dubai Police officers and employees.

Colonel Dr Mohammad Al Murr, Director of the Human Rights Department at Dubai Police, said the section receives any complaints from the public, such as instances where the complainant felt that an employee might have abused his power, or instances where the employee did not provide the complainant with a service he should provide, mistreatment and any incident where the member of the public feels they were wronged.

“Everyone has the right to come forward and lodge a complaint, even someone who had left the country. We take all complaints very seriously and investigate all of them,” Col Al Murr said.

People should not be afraid or hesitate to come forward, he said, as the department protects their right to do so.

Out of the 687 complaints received between January and September this year, 98 were valid complains. Last year, there were 506 complaints in the same period of which 92 were valid, said Lt Colonel Ahmad Al Mansouri, Director of the Rights and Freedoms Protection department at the Department of Human Rights of Dubai Police.

“The majority of those valid complaints are traffic related, and are usually a result of the incorrect entry of the vehicle details,” Lt Col Al Mansouri said.

However, he said, those incorrect fines are a very small percentage of the total number of fines issued by the Dubai Police Traffic Department, and do not represent a problem.

The Dubai Police Traffic Department recorded 2.25 million traffic violations from the beginning of 2014 until the end of October.

Lt Col Al Mansouri said that people can either call 901 with their complaints or online through the Dubai Police website.

Disciplinary board

“After the person puts through his complaint, he receives an SMS with the complaint’s number, which he can use to track its progress. We look into the matter and send the complainant an initial response within seven days,” Lt Col Al Mansouri said.

If investigations show that the complaint is incorrect, the department informs the complainant and using proof, explains why it is incorrect.

If the complaint was valid, he said, then the employee who made the mistake bears the consequences of his mistake. “If what he did was a crime, then he is transferred to the public prosecution.”

But if the mistake was not a crime, he said, and only a violation of police law, then the person faces a disciplinary board and is punished according to the severity of the violation. Punishment can even result in the person’s dismissal from service.

Meanwhile, the complainant is informed of the procedures taking place.

If the employee feels like the decision made did not do him justice, he can appeal to the appeals section at the same department.

Col Al Mur explained that in order for those mistakes to not reoccur, they take corrective measures if any are needed, and hold training workshops for employees in the relevant department so they can learn from their colleagues’ mistake.