Dubai: The future of policing has arrived in the UAE in the form of a new, totally automated smart police station that will provide Dubai Police services to all who seek assistance.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, opened on Saturday what’s believed to be the world’s first smart police service station at City Walk.
Lt-General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and Public Security, and Major-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, were present for the launch.
Open 24 hours, seven days a week, the new station offers 27 key services such as reporting crimes and traffic incidents as well as a further 33 services offering community services ranging from getting a good-conduct certificate to social support for victims of family violence.
As witnessed by Gulf News on Sunday during a media tour of the new station, visitors were guided by directional floor signs to confidential cubicles where people can report their concerns remotely to police officers who communicate via a large television screen one-on-one with the complainant.
Brigadier Khalid Nasser Al Razouqi, General Director of Smart Services at Dubai Police, said the new facility is a real-time glimpse into future police stations in UAE.
“Residents can visit anytime and report a crime or benefit from our services. The station is first of many that will be installed all around the city,” Brig Al Razouqi told Gulf News.
Once seated in private cubicles at the station, visitors can click on an electronic dashboard to communicate online with police officers around the clock.
“It is a confidential service point where the customers can speak freely with officers through video conference. The smart dashboard can provide many services like paying traffic fines by cash or cards or to send and receive documents,” he added.
Officers will also take a visitor’s statement and return it to the visitor at the smart station in hard-copy form and the visitor will then sign it before sending the copy back to the officer to complete the reporting of a crime, he said.
More autonomous police stations are in the works and will be rolled out at later dates, he said.
“All residential and commercial areas in the future will have a smart police station to provide the finest smart police services to facilitate access to police for the public and save their time and effort,” Brig Al Razouqi said.
The architect behind the station, Captain Ebrahim Al Shaibani, said that two employees will be in the station for some time to guide customers on how to use the services and later the station will operate without on-site police presence.
While waiting, customers can play an educational driving game in the station which not only entertains but teaches users about safe driving.
“Some people don’t like to go to police station maybe and this station will break the ice as people will walk in freely anytime and get the police service without need to go to normal station. It will cut time and effort and will reduce number of customers in other stations,” Capt Al Shaibani said.
People who find lost items in a public area can go to the smart station and put the found item in a plastic bag and then deposit it in a big locked box inside the cubicle.
How it works
Visitors enter the station main doors and follow the floor signs to the big screen on the left side and choose between resident and tourist options.
If the person is a resident, they must put their Emirates ID in a slot beside the screen and follow the steps.
If the person is a visitor, they must enter full personal details on a page on the screen and follow the steps.
Choose a service and you will get a token to enter the cubicle service room
List of services
- - Traffic fines payment
- - Good-conduct certificate
- - Home security
- - Police leaders at your service
- - Traffic status certificate
- - Reissuing traffic accident report
- - Pay impound fees
- - Verify driver
- - Labour complaint
- - Lost-and-found items
- - Lost-item certificate
- - File criminal complaint
- - Certificate-TWIMC
- - Detainee visit request
- - Police report inquiry
- - Report crime
- - Tourist security
- - Vehicle inspection request
- - Application status
- - Heart patient service
- - Social support in family violence cases
- - Police museum tour
- - Feedback
Source: Dubai Police
