Smarter police patrols on Dubai roads

Dubai: Dubai Police will deploy 30 smart patrols on the roads and will have more smart cameras to tackle stolen cars, an official said on Sunday.

People driving stolen vehicles or those driving recklessly will be tracked in a flash with next-generation smart cameras called ‘Rasd’.

Dubai Police said that they have already installed 70 cameras and will added another 61 cameras until the end of this year.

‘Rasd’ monitors the roads, scan vehicle numbers and alert the police operations room and patrols if any wanted vehicle passes in the area.

Brigadier Kamel Butti Al Suwaidi, Director of the Department of Operations at Dubai Police, said that the cameras are part of police project launched last year. “The device can detect any wanted vehicles and will immediately issue alarm to the command and control centre to pursue the car and pinpointing its location by tracking devices, thereby directing the patrolling vehicle to seize it,” Brigadier Al Suwaidi said.

Dubai Police will also have 30 smart patrols this year with 12 cameras that work in 360 degrees view to detect suspects and wanted vehicles.

“The smart patrols and ‘Rasd’ is part of the smart system, to help us tackle crimes in the city. We monitor whatever the cameras transfer to the command room.”

The system noticed a suspect walking in the Gold Souq in a suspicious way. Police send a patrol to check on him and he was found to be staying illegally in the country.

He said the system also helps people in emergency. “Recently we were monitoring a suspect in the street when we noticed a man suffering a heart attack on the street. We called an ambulance to help the man who fell on the ground and paramedics saved his life,” Brigadier Al Suwaidi said.

Dubai Police said 30 new radars have already been installed to track those not adhering to lane discipline, driving on the hard shoulder or cutting into traffic.

“This is an accurate system and this will reduce protests or complaints against the offences,” he added.