Friday 10 December 2010:
Capital Police confirms that thefts in public buses are limited
Colonel Maktoum Ali bin Abdulaziz Al Shareefi, Director of ADP Capital Police Directorate (CPD) has confirmed that the thefts related to public buses are limited, are not repeated on daily basis, within the limits of CPD jurisdiction. Police Stations one or a couple of reports in a month.
“Decline in the number of reports related to pick pocketing, since the beginning pf public buses service of Abu Dhabi Department of Transport in early 2008, does not make of it a phenomenon, especially in the light of increased use of public buses and increased number of buses, and developing the service to keep pace with overall developments which the country witnesses”, added Al Shareefi.
He has urged commuters to be more responsible and pay close attention to their personal belongings, especially women hand bags. Commuters should also avoid rush hours and jostling when getting in or getting off buses to ensure the safety of themselves and their belongings.
“CID coordinates with ADP CID through its Organized Crime section to curb such crimes. Also working teams and elements to monitor buses and bus stops are set up and plans are made to arrest culprits and bring them to justice. These efforts has achieved positive results”, added Al Shareefi.
He has lauded the efforts and cooperation with Abu Dhabi Department of Transport in setting up a joint committee to monitor and spot criminal behaviors and pick pocketing in public buses and their stations. These efforts include installation of closed-circuit surveillance cameras in all buses reassure passengers.
“Awareness programmes by police are part of the solution. A joint media plan with the Department of Transports has been made to raise commuters awareness, to promote sense of security and to reduce negative behaviors”, added Al Shareefi.
On the other hand Saeed Mohammad Fadhil Al Hamli, Director General of Bus Transport in Abu Dhabi has lauded ADP efforts in launching many awareness campaigns targeting the public with their different nationalities and cultures, affirming that the cases of pick pocketing in public buses are very small. He has urged commuters to be extra cautious, especially during crowds in holidays. The Department is in the process of implementing “Smart System” which watches inside and outside the buses, by the end of 2012. Thus suspects can easily be detected
He has proposed the launch of joint campaign with ADP targeting commuters to educate them on safeguarding their personal belongings so as to curb the cases of pick pocketing against passengers, males and females. Any who falls a victim of pick pocket he should call the Complaint Office at the Department of Transport on the phone number: 80055555, identifying the time of his trip inside the bus and the bus line, so that we can report the case to police on the spot for their further action. ADP has succeeded in achieving communication with the public through many activities and surprises.
He has also affirmed that public transport by buses is a strategic partner to all government efforts based on awareness programmes and changing the public behaviors and cultures, so as to become an important partner in supporting the government efforts in maintaining security and achieving community safety and stability. Public buses are used by 100 thousand passengers daily in Abu Dhabi. The country community consists of more than 200 nationalities from different countries of the world. He urge