Cop story: Serving Dubai since British era

DUBAI: Maj Gen Abdul Rahman Mohammad Rafei has worn a police uniform every morning since 1974.

One of only two policemen serving Dubai Police from the time of the British era (the other being Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security), Maj Gen Rafei, Director-General of the Department of Community Services, has seen a lot while policing the world’s fastest growing city.

Going back in time with XPRESS, Maj Gen Rafei said he remembers the first draft for Arab officers in 1974. “I stood at attention in front of the interview panel. Police Chief Jack Briggs was in the centre. They noticed my military posture and asked if I had any formal training. When I told them I was a veteran scout leader and customs officer, they said: khalas, we accept you. That was the first step towards fulfilling my dream of being a man of service.”

It was the local scout movement that shaped his dream of joining the force. “The first scout camp was set up in 1959. It was British General Robert Baden-Powell who founded the original scout movement in India and Africa, so it was natural the programme would find its way here,” Maj Gen Rafei said. The scout camp taught him about discipline and leadership - qualities vital to be a policeman. Today, besides his police post, he is also vice-president of the Emirates Scout Association and on the board of Dubai Scouts.

Inspiration

Police parades by his school were also an inspiration for him. “When we heard the music, we would run out of class to see the policemen goosestep and salute. I would imagine myself in that uniform. The badge, the proud and disciplined demeanour, all of it strengthened my aspiration to serve [the force].”

But first Maj Gen Rafei had to do odd jobs at the post office, Maktoum Bridge toll booth and Dubai Airport. “I had to leave school to help my family. I was 13 or 14 when I joined the post office. I also worked at the toll booth on Maktoum Bridge, which [revenue] was used to construct roads and bridges at a time when the country depended on pearl trading.”

In 1967, Maj Gen Rafei got a job as a customs officer at Dubai Airport. “Work was pretty slow. We barely had five planes landing per day. It was just a lonely building at the time,” he said.

The dream break happened in 1974. “I was ecstatic when I joined the police. I wore my uniform everywhere. I would even wear it at the dinner table. Before I slept I hung it in front of me, with the hat on the hangar head. I would pretend I was still wearing it.”

Training

Maj Gen Rafei graduated after six months of training the same year. During training he was paid Dh950 a month. They were then taken to Cairo and Jordan for advanced and specialised training.

Jack Briggs, who was Police Chief from 1965-75, was Maj Gen Rafei’s role model. “We both lived in the headquarters. I would wake up at dawn and wait in front of his door. When he came out, I would rush and carry his handbag. I went everywhere with him, even on his travels. I also drove him around in his Land Rover, which had no air-conditioning,” he said.

Maj Gen Rafei said the former police chief was proficient in reading and writing Arabic. “He would insist people spoke only in Arabic, All the paperwork and documents were in Arabic,” he said. This according to Maj Gen Rafei made the 1975 transition from British to local administration smoother with Colonel Abdullah Khalfan Belhoul becoming the first Emirati police chief. “Colonel Belhoul was a meticulous man and had great respect for punctuality. I found the same qualities as Briggs in our new chief and was thus motivated to advance in the ranks.”

Five years later, Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim was appointed police chief. “The Dahi team became a family,” Maj Gen Rafei said. “It’s hard to explain in mere words. Decades of friendship forged into an eternal bond. We travelled together and frequently visited each other’s homes for dinner. Relationships like that only happen once in a lifetime.”

Today, the 20,000 strong Dubai Police force is under the leadership of Maj Gen Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina who has many of the same ideologies as his predecessors. “It is good to look out the window and see the city from the headquarters. It’s hard to think the police department was a lonely fort in Deira once.”

And what would Maj Gen Rafei have chosen if not life as a cop? “Once I wanted to be a radio presenter. But I was told I didn’t have a suitable voice for radio and I wasn’t photogenic enough for TV.

“But I didn’t mind really. I was set on being a man of service.”