Dubai
Dubai is on the verge of rewriting the book on traditional policing of a major city to meet a future infused at every turn by high technology.
On Monday, the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) announced that Dubai Police are effectively reassigning police officers to fewer administrative and procedural tasks across Dubai in favour of scaled up operations backed by advanced technology to boost human surveillance.
Under a new initiative called “Police without Policemen”, the move is part of the Dubai 10X initiative which aims to position Dubai Government entities 10 years ahead of all other cities as unveiled by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of DFF, at the 6th World Government Summit in February.
The new plan includes setting up fixed cameras on fences and homes, to ensure the security and safety of the community through a combination of crowdsourcing and deployment of advanced technologies.
A second measure will include the operation of a surveillance blimp as an airborne early warning control system that oversees open spaces and projects under construction.
A third measure dubbed ‘Station in Patrol’ aims to provide rapid response to emergencies and replace the need to build traditional police stations.
General Abdullah Al Merri, Dubai Police Commander-in-Chief, said that new technology will mean higher levels of safety.
“With these projects we are bringing to reality the concept of ‘no-policemen’ policing and ensuring that we achieve the highest levels of security and safety for our people without the need for policemen being present on-ground 24/7. Through these projects, we aim to strengthen our partnership with the members of the community to strengthen safety and security standards, and respond promptly to any challenges, and ensure the happiness of our citizens and residents,” he said in a statement.
“Sometimes in traditional policing measures, valuable time is lost in identifying and arresting criminals. However, with the disruptive innovation that we propose through our new projects that deploy the latest technologies, we aim to scale up operational efficiency. These projects will serve as effective tools that help us achieve our goal of serving our people. In this, we will leverage international best practices that will benefit the community and the police force.”
New measures
* Surveillance blimps will monitor city from above — 24/7
* Independent police cars with an officer will act as mobile police stations on patrol
* Technology such as TV cameras will help patrol neighbourhoods from a distance
