Sharjah sees 15% drop in ‘serious crimes'

Sharjah has recorded a 15 per cent drop in serious crimes in 2020, compared with figures in 2019, the police have said. More ‘mysterious’ crimes were also solved and a bigger number of disputes had been settled amicably.

Major-General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police, lauded the force that remained at their best even in the face of the pandemic. “Despite the difficulties and challenges caused by the spread of the coronavirus around the world, we were able to achieve success,” he said.

At the recent media forum organised by the Sharjah Police, they reported that in 2020, the rate of identifying suspects in ‘mysterious crimes’ went up by 24 per cent, compared with 2019 figures. Eight-six per cent of disputes filed at police stations were also solved amicably, which meant residents didn’t have to go to court to settle cases, Maj-Gen Al Shamsi said.

Emergency response

The Sharjah Police have also significantly improved its emergency response, even exceeding expectations, said Lt-Col Sameh Al-Helian, deputy director of strategy and performance development.

In 2020, the team set a seven-minute response time target. Records showed, however, that they were able to reach a site of emergency in 6.45 minutes. In 2019, they clocked 8.18 minutes.

“These positive results were achieved thanks to the effort, planning, and persistent and continuous work, which reflect the spirit of teamwork of the Sharjah Police,” said Lt-Col Al Helian.

He added that the police dealt with over 1.2 million emergency calls, which came through their 999 helpline, while some 266,000 calls were made to 901, the designated number for non-emergency cases.

The police have also achieved a 98.5 per cent customer satisfaction rate for their services. Their 83 in-app smart services have also benefitted almost half a million residents.

Lt-Col Al Helian said that the police have devoted a great deal of effort to providing services of a humanitarian nature, running 4,343 public transport services for senior citizens and people of determination.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com