Abu Dhabi: The police in the capital are looking to recruit more expats for their community police division, XPRESS can reveal.
“We are planning to expand the force with more representation from expatriate communities,” Lt. Colonel Mubarak Bin Muhairom, Head of the Community Police at Abu Dhabi Police, told XPRESS. “We already have a significant number of nationalities on our team, in addition to experienced officers internationally recruited from countries like the UK and Singapore,” he added.
The 500-strong community police team represents diverse nationalities living in Abu Dhabi and operates as frontline officers who understand the pulse of the expat community. They are the vital link connecting the public with the police and play a crucial role in ensuring a crime-free neighbourhood and a safer community life in the emirate for residents.
Citing international research, Lt Col Muhairom said there is a great deal of evidence that shows community policing improves public confidence and helps build trust and strengthens the relationship between the public and police. “This is an important priority for policing and it is an effective way of contributing to ensure we maintain Abu Dhabi as a safe and secure society,” said the officer.
The idea to establish community policing was first developed in 2003 at a time when Abu Dhabi Police were undertaking widespread modernisation. A 10-member community police team was formed at that time and was based in Bani Yas.
Since 2004, the number of resources committed to community policing has grown in all the major police stations in Abu Dhabi.
These teams, consisting of both male and female members working full time for Abu Dhabi Police, are supported by a central community police department based in Abu Dhabi city.
Today, Lt Col Muhairom said, community police play an active role in preventing crime and disorder in society.
“The pivotal role for community police is that they are proactive in solving problems. They don’t wait for things to happen before they respond. They will take action as soon as they know or predict that a problem or crime may happen,” said Lt Col Muhairom.
There to help
Elaborating on the role and responsibilities of the wing, he added that community police are there to help solve problems usually related to crime and anti-social behaviour.
“They will also deal with social problems, thus they have a wider role and there are many areas of law that they focus on.
“They build trust with their communities and share information with them. You can trust the community police to make you feel safe and secure,” said Lt Col Muhairom.
“We also have experienced community police officers from Singapore and the UK who work with the local recruits. These officers wear the uniform of Abu Dhabi Police and they engage with expat communities and have a good understanding of their needs,” said Lt Col Muhairom.
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