The Social Support Centers Department of Abu Dhabi Police launched an Awareness Campaign on the risks of modern technology and multimedia. The one-year campaign is held under the slogan (Learn Before You Regret it).
Major General Mohammed bin Al Awadhi Al Menhali, Director General of Police Operations at Abu Dhabi Police, said: “This awareness campaign, organized by the Social Support Centers Department, embodies the modern approach adopted by the police leadership, by establishing developed concepts for police work, in its interaction with the community.”
“Abu Dhabi Police is keen to constantly communicate with the various society sectors, segments, and institutions through modern educational tools. Educational and social events and activities represent a good opportunity for the police to achieve communication with the public, send awareness messages and enhance risk prevention. This can be achieved through communication with all members of community; citizens, residents and visitors alike, according to their interests and preferences,” he added.
Al Menhali said: “the campaign will include several topics, namely; seminars, lectures, workshops and meetings with competent authorities in this field. It will also post the relevant news and information in print media. We will also provide schools and universities with brochures issued by the department in this regard.”
He added: “the campaign focuses on enhancing cooperation with partners to achieve the goals of our mission in line with our social responsibility. We will collaborate with school and university students, parents and educators, to promote their role to raise awareness and help fulfill the coveted aspirations of safety and security for all; as well as leveraging modern technology to instill purposeful social concepts and values, and educate youth on the dangers and challenges of its use”. Moreover, he noted that the campaign complements Abu Dhabi Police’s approach to spread the concept of safe Internet use, which tops its priorities. “The optimal way to enhance awareness on safe internet use is to reach out to children and educate them at an early age.”
For his part, Brigadier Najem Abdullah Al Hosani, Director of the Social Support Centers Department, indicated that the campaign targets school and university students across the Emirate, and will be launched in cooperation with the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Department at Abu Dhabi Police. “Parents usually indulge their children’s requests and offer them modern technology devices. We have noticed that most children have Ipads, smart phones, computers and other devices, for recreational purposes, not for education. This problem indicates lack of awareness among parents on the risks posed by these devices,” he continued.
He added: “children are targeted; some of them are being abused and exploited through the internet, while unattended by their parents. For this end, the Ministry of Interior established a specialized center to protect children against abuse, in addition to the “Aman” emergency number: 8002626, through which, members of the public can communicate with police for the same purpose.”
According to Al Hosani, the Social Support Centers Department will be cooperating with renowned elite of lecturers to serve the purposes of this campaign. It will also collaborate with a number of religious scholars, to shed light on this issue in their Friday sermons.
On the other hand, a ceremony was held at the Abu Dhabi Police Officers’ Club, in cooperation with the Zayed University, to introduce the campaign. A large number of department employees, teachers, e