Dubai Police honour Salama Bint Mohammed

Sheikha Salama Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum was presented with Dubai Police’s “Shield of Happiness” in recognition of her contributions to advancing the operations of the K9 Security Inspection Department.

The shield was presented during the inauguration ceremony of the K9 Conference, organised as part of the third edition of the World Police Summit held from March 5 – 7, 2024.

The event was attended by Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, officers from various police forces, and experts in the field.

Sheikha Salama’s role in supporting the K9 Security Inspection Department of Dubai Police in obtaining rare police dog breeds for specialised security operations and boosting Dubai Police’s capabilities with over 1900 hours of advanced joint training for handlers and dogs in collaboration with Sahara Kennel, has helped the department enhance its operational efficiency.

In his opening remarks, Major Salah Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Director of the K9 Security Inspection Department at Dubai Police, highlighted the role of past editions of the K9 Conference in promoting advances in the field of security inspection and use of police dogs.

He highlighted the focus of this year’s conference on the challenges of employing police dogs in search and rescue operations during natural and humanitarian disasters.

Given recent global events, he stressed the importance of constant readiness, skill development, and exchange of expertise to ensure effective emergency response by skilled personnel and trained police dogs.

The 2024 conference featured discussions on the health and readiness of police dogs and the presentation of over ten specialised papers by international police force experts.

It also explored innovative approaches for deploying police dogs to address 21st-century security challenges.

Major Salah Al Mazrouei reaffirmed Dubai Police’s dedication to advancing the innovative use of police dogs in diverse operations, under the directives of Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri.

This commitment forms part of its aim to bolster security, prevent crime, and ensure community safety through specialised training for personnel, adoption of smart technologies and continuous training.

The K9 conference discussed the latest practices in search and rescue, featuring speakers such as Alois Balog, President of the International Search and Rescue Organisation, and Dr Alexander Honel, Vice President of Deployment at the International Association for Rescue Dogs.

Vassiliki Statopoulo, a specialist in gastrointestinal disorders and diagnostic and interventional endoscopy at Vetmedica Veterinary Clinic, discussed common gastrointestinal disorders in German Shepherds.

The Conference covered topics on K9 technologies and innovation in the use of police detection dogs to address today’s security challenges.

It also discussed factors impacting dogs’ stability and stress management, surgical interventions, recent advancements in explosive detection training, nutritional needs for working dogs, and improvements in the care of police dogs.

WAM