The Sharjah Police’s Media and Public Relations Department has organised its fifth Media Forum on Wednesday.

Sohaila Ahmed, Staff Reporter/WAM

The Sharjah Police’s Media and Public Relations Department has organised its fifth Media Forum on Wednesday in the presence of Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police, Brigadier General Abdullah Mubarak Bin Amer, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Brigadier General Ahmad Haji Al Serkal, Director General of Police Operations Department, Brigadier General Dr. Ahmed Saeed Al Naour, Director- General of Central Operations, Brigadier Arif Hassan Hudaib, Director of Media and Public Relations Department, and a number of specialised officers as well as media representatives who asked questions on various issues and security-related affairs.

The forum began with a filmed review on Sharjah Police achievements during the year 2020, including the safety and security index that reviewed the performance level of the Sharjah Police General Directorate during last year, in which Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Sameh Al-Helian, Deputy Director of Strategy and Performance Development Department, stated that the disturbing crime rate has dropped by 15% per (100,000) people, with a 43.25 crime rate compared to 2019. Meanwhile, the complaints amicably resolved reached 86% with a rate of 48% compared to 2019.

Police officials confirmed that traffic accidents have decreased by 53% for every 10,000 vehicles, and the death rate decreased to 22% for every 100,000 persons, while hit and run accidents decreased by 44% compared to 2019.

Intensive implementation of safety precautions and the heavy spread of police patrol on a 24-hour basis have contributed in the decrease of traffic accidents, in which (11) awareness campaigns were held, and (371) media materials were published and played a major role in spreading traffic awareness.

Readiness of police teams in handling all kinds of emergency and non-emergency situations have also contributed in reaching great achievements and higher performances, such as police’s response time which recorded 6.45 minutes compared to the 8.18 minutes recorded in 2019.

Additionally, Sharjah Police’s operations room has also achieved great results in dealing with 1,282,064 emergency calls on the number (999), and 266,197 non-emergency calls on the number (901), illustrating police teams’ readiness in facing all kinds of incidents.

Through police’s social media platforms, security and traffic awareness were raised among 2 million and 600,000 people, through more than 300 media material posted on the platforms.

VOICE OF HCHF WOMEN’S FORUM: The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) hosted its first-ever Women’s Virtual Forum this week, featuring powerhouse female leaders, experts, and activists.

The participants included Vice President of Costa Rica Epsy Campbell Barr; UAE Minister of Culture and Youth Noura Al Kaabi; UN Women Executive Director and UN Under-Secretary-General Phumzile Mlambo Ngucka; former Director-General of UNESCO and member of the Higher Committee on Human Fraternity Irina Bokova; UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem; Director of the University of Maryland SAFE Centre for Human Trafficking Survivors Susan Esserman; Secretary-General of Religions for Peace Azza Karam and Latifa Ibn Ziaten, recipient of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity 2021.

Campbell Barr, a trained economist, told the forum that the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened to set back economic development for women for the first time in 30 years, and that it is “essential to make money available to women” in order for them to develop their businesses and communities amid the pandemic.

Executive Director Mlambo Ngucka called on measures and policies to be passed specifically to support women and Al Kaabi offered a concrete example implemented in her country.

“The UAE has a strong legal framework to ensure women are not disadvantaged in any way in the job market. I think the most important decision concerning women and the job market [made during the pandemic] was allowing mothers with children in grade six and below, or those with children of determination, to work remotely from home,” said Al Kaabi.