Law and order situation in Dubai peaceful, moves to increase dependence on online services

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        'caption' => 'Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Deputy Commandant General of Dubai Police talking to attendance.',
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Mr Al Mazeina was interacting with media persons at a Ramadan Majlis organized by Dubai Press Club on Monday.

Drawing attention to the globalization of crimes and the way modern telecommunications were used in facilitating international criminal networks, Mr Al Mazeina said that the Dubai Police was constantly upgrading its strategies to keep pace with the developments.

'The opening up of Dubai as an international hub is a positive development in our perspective. It has helped us gain more experience and to interact with policing professionals from different places of the world. A platonic, idealistic city cannot exist in the real world, and as such, Dubai indeed witnesses some crimes. But compared to any other city similar in the size and composition of its population, Dubai fairs extremely well,'

he asserted.

Dismissing some of the ethnic prejudices in relation to crimes, Mr Al Mazeina said the crime rate among some Asian nationalities was higher than others only because their percentage among the total population was also higher.

'You cannot reduce crimes committed by people to their nationalities. I believe that the diversity of cultures and nationalities does not constitute a threat to the law and order mechanism,' he said.

Reiterating that the Dubai Police did not seek to suppress media freedoms in the country, Mr Al Mazeina said they never tried to impose their priorities and preferences on media organizations. Media organizations present in the country were absolutely free to pursue their policies in terms of reporting and analyzing the happenings here, he added.

Answering a specific question on alleged manipulations by the police of accident reporting, Mr Al Mazeina vehemently denied the charge and said it was unfair on the part of the media to maintain such perceptions.

'We go out of our way to facilitate the work of the media in relation to their coverage of police affairs. We do not withhold information. We are totally transparent in sharing information with the media and we never turn our back to them,' he pointed out, thanking the media in the country for its cooperation and support.

In reply to a query on workers' strikes, Mr Al Mazeina said the police never tackled such things in a heavy-handed manner.

'We do not intervene so long as the agitations are within the framework of the law. Even when we intervene, we show maximum empathy towards the aggrieved parties. But of course, we cannot allow anyone to take the law into his hands,' he added.

Mr Al Mazeina revealed that the Dubai Police was working closely with various developers to make sure that the newly developed areas in the city had proper security arrangements. He added that there was an inextricable link between the demographic situation and the overall security.

'We are determined to keep pace with the latest trends in crime, be they economic offences or criminal offences. The transfer of the scenes of crime from one place to another is happening at a much faster pace these days than earlier. We are on top of these trends and making sure that Dubai is as well- protected as practically possible,' he said.

Responding to a volley of questions on Suzan Tamim's murder, Mr Al Mazeina asserted that the proceedings and investigations on the matter were done in the most appropriate manner. Referring to the alleged involvement of a top Egyptian businessman, he said the authorities in Egypt were doing the needful to find out the truth.