Sharjah increases police patrols

Sharjah: Sharjah police have increased their security cover in the emirate. As part of new measures, police will be patrolling from 9pm until dawn.

According to Sharjah police, the objective is to provide the necessary safety cover for residents, in line with the increase in the emirate's population.

Colonel Mohammad Eid Al Madhloum, head of operations, said the objective is to increase the feeling of safety and security among the residents.

"This can only be done with the increase in the number of patrolling units. These patrols are fully trained and will be able to make arrests and to check any one flaunting the ban on racing motorbikes and cars after dark. We have also received complaints of hooligans making a nuisance for residents," he said.

Col Madhloum said that there will be patrols on standby to cater to any emergency that may occur anytime in any areas in the emirate.

The first phase of these patrolling began on Friday in areas including Halwan, Al Heira and Al Riqa'a, Al Sharq, Al Layyeh, Al Khadiya, Al Wasit, Muweilah and Al Mughaidir.

Residents have complained recently about men knocking on their car windows at night.

"This could not have come at a better time. Asian men who prowl in sandy areas which are used as car parks are proving to be quite a nightmare for women when they park their cars after dark in these areas. For example, they usually reach home late in the evening. There is an open sandy patch where all the residents park their cars. One evening, I had an Asian man knocking at my car window before even I could get out of my car. There was no one around and it scared the lights off me," said Noor Mohammad Khan, a resident of Al Khan.

Maya, a Sri Lankan expatriate who lives in al Nahda, said she too had a similar experience at the parking area under her building.

"I panicked and locked myself inside the car and called the building watchman for help. By the time the watchman arrived this Asian man, who must have been in his early 30s, just disappeared into the dark. Since then I am wary of reaching home at night," she said.

Col. Madhloum said of the complaints: "The increase in patrols is to reduce crime, which includes monitoring any suspicious behaviour."

Have you noticed any such incident of harassment at night? Do people take enough safety precautions while going out at night? How can the authorities increase the level of security?

I feel its a good effort taken by the police and it?s their duty to ensure safety of their citizens .But I feel some areas where a lot of construction is taking place should have more supervision.
Aisha
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 25, 2009, 17:20

I live in Sharjah. On two occasions my car's mirror and the fog lamp has been broken while I parked my car close to my building.
Jaffrey Haniff
Kerala,India
Posted: April 25, 2009, 15:09

More street lights, especially in dark areas will also work as a deterrent.
Saleem
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 25, 2009, 14:42

Good move, also need to control by the police of used car showroom. If the residents park their cars in right place they would not have to go to the sandy areas and would not have to see the men who is knocking their cars windows.
Majid
sHARJAH,UAE
Posted: April 25, 2009, 14:13

I had a similar experience of a man knocking on my car window after I parked the car in parking lot in Karama on April 23 at around 8 pm. I started shouting at him from inside the car and then lowered the window. He immediately ran away from the spot.
Arun M
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 25, 2009, 12:56

People are scared and worried while going out, especially at nights. Keeping valuables and money inside the house seems risky. People have become more suspicious and wary nowadays and the increase in Police Patrol has come at the right time. Hopefully this will bring back the feeling of security and safety amongst the people.
Naina Nair
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 25, 2009, 12:34

This is a great idea and I'm glad Sharjah is doing this. It can be very hard to be a woman here and I myself have been harassed many times in daylight, even with my husband in town. In the six years I've lived here I've never felt safe enough to go outside at night alone and have never ventured outside at night without my husband. I hope that this will help women who are single or have to drive alone at night to feel safer.
Elizabeth
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 25, 2009, 11:58

This is great. More police means more safety. We live on Buhaira Corniche in Sharjah. We hear racing motorbikes every night after 1 AM. This road needs a radar and of course police patrols to stop this.
Berik A.
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 25, 2009, 11:13

No I haven?t noticed the same and I feel people do not take safety precautions because they think they are in a safe country. The authorities can do something by keeping a strict vigil by police patrol at isolated or dark areas and also can put brighter lights in dark parking places.
Clifton Richard Lobo
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 25, 2009, 10:26

This issue is very well addressed by Gulf News and Sharjah police. Most of the people are usually the car washers and are looking for anyone to wash their cars. They used to come when they see you parking your car, and they will knock at your window or will stand by your car staring at you and will wait for you to get out of the car so that they can ask for work. Definitely this is quite scary, mostly for women and for men, too.
Kamran Yousuf
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 25, 2009, 09:31

I appreciate the efforts of the police and increased patrols. However, it will be further safe if police also increase patrols during day time. Any suspicious person must be questioned on the spot by police so that it spreads feeling of tight checking within the public.
Amjad Seddiqi
sharjah,uae
Posted: April 25, 2009, 08:38

What about industrial areas around Al Khan and Al Nahda areas? Patrolling must be deployed in these areas. The sooner the better.
Arun
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 25, 2009, 08:29