Dubai bicycle patrols help prevent crimes
The Bicycle Patrols of the Dubai Police have struck gold, despite the raging Covid-19 outbreak. They have achieved 100 per cent crime prevention rate in areas they operate in.
The department, which was formed in 2017, has been working in tandem to prevent criminal activities, according to Colonel Muhammad Ahli, the Deputy Director of the General Department of Criminal Investigations for Research and Investigation Affairs, Dubai Police.
Dubai residents feel safe and secure because of the foolproof operations of the Bicycle Patrols. They are active in neighbourhoods such as Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Al Khawaneej, Mirdif, the Palm, Arabian Ranches, where other patrols don’t operate, including touristy places, malls and beaches.
“The public feels safer when they see us at work,” he added.
The announcement of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, about making the emirate a cycling-friendly city has led to an uptick in enthusiasm for the sport, he said. Now, people use bicycles more than ever either as a hobby or for transportation. “It’s not just a job, it’s happiness. We enjoy doing it all week and round the clock,” he added.
The pandemic, which has infected 91 million people across the world, has not been all that raging in either the UAE or Dubai, a melting pot of ethnic diversity. The patrols have been one of the frontline heroes in their valiant bid to rein in the pandemic.
Colonel Ahli said the personnel from his department opened doors for volunteers to further create awareness about SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19.
Over 10,000 people of 32 nationalities volunteered and worked with the personnel in a bid to guide the public to protect themselves and their loved ones.
“Remember the golden words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. He had said everyone is responsible for everyone,” Colonel Ahli said.
He said police personnel and volunteers worked in harmony to distribute masks, maintain social distancing and other precautionary measures to keep the contagion at bay.
The National Sterilisation Programme was a major success, Colonel Ahli said. “UAE citizens, residents and visitors are aware of our standard operating procedures (SOPs),” he added.
First Lieutenant Mohammed Rashid Alsuwaidi, director of bicycle teams at the General Department of Criminal Investigation, is happy that he has already got his vaccine. Personnel from the department have been administered the vaccine as frontline heroes battling the pandemic.
He said the vaccine is the key to eradicating the pandemic, as the visionary leadership of the UAE has urged all to take the jab. He added that there had been a considerable decline in “the numbers of violations and fines have appreciably decreased.”