Police step up drive against teen crime

Dubai: In its efforts to combat the problem of teenagers carrying sharp objects, Dubai Police have recruited informants in residential areas to report on such matters.

More than 14 police patrol units have been deployed to monitor residential areas and report suspicious gatherings in a campaign that was kicked off following the killing of 13-year-old Ali Mohammad by a group of teenagers, Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, director of the general department of criminal investigation at Dubai Police, told Gulf News.

Within a week of the launch of the campaign, 13 teenagers have been arrested for carrying knives, razors, and gloves. Those arrested for the first time and having no prior criminal record are detained for 24 hours. Both the minor and the parents are required to sign an undertaking. If the minor is arrested again then he/she will be referred to the public prosecution.

Police will step up monitoring at shopping malls, coffee shops frequented by youngsters, and residential areas such as Al Rashidiya, Oud Al Matena, and Al Karama. Each patrol unit includes two police officers specialising in breaking up fights or quelling resistance from teenagers while they are arrested.

"As a precautionary measure the police officers will wear flak jackets for protection. We don't anticipate any attack against a police officer, we are just doing that as a precautionary measure," said Brigadier Al Mansouri.

Parents must contact the police if their teenage children have been involved in fights with other youth and when they suspect that trouble could be brewing, he said. The campaign has helped people become more aware of the consequences of violence, he added.