Over 1,250 Abu Dhabi residents sign up for voluntary cop work

More than 1,250 new volunteers in Abu Dhabi have joined a community policing initiative that provides a vital link between front-line police officers and residents. The police said on Tuesday that 1,256 volunteers had qualified to be new members of the 'We Are All Police' initiative after they attended seven training courses.

The volunteers, who include citizens and expats residing in Abu Dhabi, have been trained to inform the police if they find anything suspicious in the community. They will also help the police during events and festivals.

Colonel Dr Hammoud Saeed Al Afari, director of the Community Police Department, explained that the first phase of the training courses was delivered remotely as a precautionary measure against the spread of Covid-19.

He explained that the training sessions in Arabic and English aimed to boost the "security sense" of the volunteers. They were introduced to the concepts of community policing, information technology, communications mechanism, and how to register for volunteer work.

The 'We Are All Police' initiative aims at promoting the values of happiness and positivity in society and to strengthen security. The goal is to engage community members in maintaining security and encourage them to assuming their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of their neighbourhoods as partners of the police.