The key facts
- Colombian police major Sandra Carolina Chacon Gomez praised Dubai's community policing approach
- The Policing Innovation and Leadership Diploma programme is run by Dubai Police together with Rabdan Academy
- Officers from 45 countries are taking part in the training
Assessment of Dubai's community policing model
Senior officer of the Colombian police, Major Sandra Carolina Chacon Gomez, who commands a police precinct in her home country, spoke positively of the Dubai Police approach to crime prevention involving residents. She made the remarks during the third Policing Innovation and Leadership Diploma programme, which Dubai Police organizes together with Rabdan Academy in the emirate, The National reports.
Positive Spirit Council and resident engagement
According to Major Gomez, she was particularly impressed by how Dubai Police develops the concept of community policing through the Positive Spirit Council — a body that runs initiatives bringing police officers and residents together, encourages public participation and helps address crime and other social issues. “We were amazed at how Dubai Police is a pioneer of the community policing concept through its Positive Spirit Council,” The National quotes her as saying. She called the involvement of residents themselves in ensuring safety one of the main lessons of the visit and noted that this approach shows how police work can go beyond traditional law enforcement.
Programme format and participants
Major Gomez is one of the officers from 45 countries taking part in the international training programme dedicated to policing, leadership and practical skills. The course combines classroom sessions with tactical exercises and physical training, allowing participants to exchange experience from different police systems. “For me this is a great opportunity, because I have learned a lot of new things — both tactical and academic,” she said, adding that taking part in the programme is an honour for the Colombian delegation, and thanked the organizers for their hospitality.
Context: tackling road noise in Dubai
The praise from the Colombian colleague came against the backdrop of practical action by Dubai Police in the field of public safety: as The National previously wrote, citing a police statement, in early November more than 200 vehicles were seized for causing noise nuisance This illustrates the very focus on problems within neighbourhoods that Major Gomez singled out in her assessment of the Dubai approach.
