Ajman: Closed circuit television is certainly nothing new as governments and police the world over install more and more surveillance cameras to monitor movement of the society they protect.
But rarely does the public have the chance to tap in to those same cameras to get a sense of the lay of the land.
It’s different in Ajman, where Ajman police live webcams have been opened to the general public to experience the hustle and bustle of Ajman city, check for traffic congestion, or to simply take a look at Ajman corniche.
The live camera services are being offered by Ajman police on its website, www.ajmanpolice.gov.ae.
Brigadier General Ali Alwan, Commander in Chief of Ajman police, told Gulf News that Ajman police have allocated four cameras in the police operation room, which transmit live views of Ajman city around the clock.
The idea, he said, first came to the light during the time of Ministry of Interior Village, which was displayed in Ajman in 2012 .
Captain Saeed Ali Al Mudkhan of the Ajman police operation room told Gulf News that those who cannot visit places in person across Ajman can now visit by logging on to the website from the comfort of their own home.
At the beginning of the initiative, Ajman police cooperated with Ajman TV to transmit live images and video via TV.
The four cameras now show the entrance of Ajman industrial area coming from Sharjah, Ajman corniche, Khalifa Road and Bader Road in front of Ajman Club.
The live webcam initiative has three central aims, said Ali Al Mudkhan: to allow viewers live views of daily life in Ajman city; to ensure security and to monitor traffic and allow motorists to use alternative routes in case of traffic jams.
The new website of Ajman police is also offering a wealth of other new services, including live chat with police officers.
Individuals can enquire about and pay traffic fines, file complaints, send tip-offs or information, communicate with senior officers, and find the location of any police department or station, Captain Khalil Ebraheim Al Hamadi, director of Ajman police’s Electronic Services Department, told Gulf News.
“In line with our policy of providing the best customer care services, our website was upgraded with a modern design and a dynamic interactive interface while new services were added as well,” he said.
The website even allows visitors to buy products made by inmates at the Department of Punitive and Reformative Establishments, and a delivery service of the products to customers will be launched soon.
The Ajman police website has received 1.2 million visits in the last six months, he said, and the website receives thousands of visits daily.
