His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, yesterday presented graduation certificates and medals to 61 police officers in the second batch of graduates from the Sharjah Academy for Police Sciences.

The Ruler also presented medals to 31 police officers who have completed 20 years of service and 15 other officers who have completed ten years. He also awarded a special Scientific Distinction Medal to Lt. Col. Dr Adel Abdullah Khamis Al Ma'mari, head of the Operations Department of the Sharjah Police, who earned his PhD in Law from Al Mansourah University in Egypt.

Dr Sheikh Sultan later honoured four prominent personalities "for their distinguished contribution in the field of police and security in the country." They were Lt. Gen. Dr Mohammed Saeed Al Badi, Minister of the Interior; Maj. Gen. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Undersecretary of Interior; Lt. Gen. Saif Abdullah Al Sha'far, Assistant Undersecretary for Security Affairs in the Ministry of the Interior, and Lt. Gen. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police.

Sheikhs, heads of public departments, diplomats, police officers and parents of the graduates attended the graduation which featured a military parade, the honouring of the top ten graduates and the swearing in of the new officers.

"It is a source of great pride and pleasure to celebrate the graduation of 61 new police officers, 51 from the UAE and 10 from Kuwait. It is a dream which has come true to see this academy growing steadily under the supervision of Dr Sheikh Sultan," said academy director Lt. Col. Dr Abdullah Ahmed Al Musharrakh.

"We work hard to prepare police officers to play a key role in providing security to their community, and protecting the laws and principles of the UAE federation." Mohammed Al Shihi was presented with a medal as the top graduate, and Bassim Hassan Ahmed received a medal for coming second. Abdulaziz Sulaiman Al Duaij was the first expatriate to receive a graduate medal.