Dubai, June 22: Developing property estates without involving the police — coupled with poor security by private companies — has seen a rise in house break-ins and burglaries, a top Dubai Police official said on Sunday.
Dubai Police Criminal Control Department Director Jamal Al Jalaf said 173 homes in Dubai had been burgled in the first quarter of this year. Though corresponding figures for last year were not available, he said they were up, a rise he attributed to real estate expansion in the emirate.
“Those who invest in real estate, or owners of companies, have not coordinated with police officials, who (in turn) have no clue about the number of residences in areas,” Al Jalaf said.
“The developers and real estate companies depend on private security companies guarding those areas, despite most of their teams (having) no security sense, how to deal with suspects, or to control the areas,” he said.
Al Jalaf said the estates and residential areas needed to be guarded by qualified security staff, able to recognise and stop strangers in the area.
In March this year the Ministry of Interior had said it would amend the law governing private security companies to improve the skills of guards.
Al Jalaf said Dubai Police had introduced training courses for private security staff, but many guards failed to implement the lessons learned.
Cases reported in the first quarter of this year, 90, occurred predominantly in quiet neighbourhoods with less pedestrian traffic. A further 83 cases occurred when home owners were absent. Fifty-one involved villas, 43 flats and 35 shared accommodation.
The thieves use different methods to break into houses, including forging keys or impersonating carpenters and technicians.
“Among the reasons for theft were that some owners of companies do not pay the salaries of workers who are living near the residential areas, which will make those workers steal from the houses,” he said.
Al Jalaf said that some thieves were professional and had criminal records abroad that police monitored. Some indulged in theft because of financial problems, and some for the sheer thrill of it — even finding to raid the resident’s fridge, have some food and drink, or write words abusive to police on the walls.
Al Jalaf said such individuals had psychological problems that police analysed and profiled to catch them. UAE nationals caught committing crimes for a sense of adventure have been referred to a rehabilitation centre.
Recently, the police arrested two Africans who robbed 30 houses in the emirate and found that after each crime the men would go to nightclubs to celebrate their loot and dance hysterically. The majority of those who commit thefts are Asians, followed by Eastern Europe and Arabs.
However, he said police had solved the majority of the theft crimes and recovered millions of dirhams in cash and valuables.
Special teams have been created to target the theft and awareness programs launched among residents.
Residents have asked to inform the police if they see strangers in their area and to employ staff only through legal channels.
A housing security programme was set up at the end of 2008 which enables residents to enroll when they travel abroad: the police will ensure patrols in such areas.
Al Jalaf said that the Dubai Police accepts applications through its website (www.dubaipolice.gov.ae) round the clock.
–Agencies