Our knights in shining BMWs...

I can never forget that afternoon. As i came home for my 3-hour break, i saw a stretcher near the lift. I thought someone was sick in the building and yes, it dawned on me, that i had seen an ambulance and a police patrol car outside in the open parking. As we got ready to have lunch, we had no idea what had happened in the building while we were at work. Never before had i had a police officer knocking at our door, and that too in Dubai? We were more surprised than scared. Even before we had time to react, our home had been 'searched' inside out!

"What’s wrong?" was our obvious question, still unaware.

"Nothing! Don’t worry- just don't go anywhere till we tell you to."

"But we have to go back to work" we had no clue why all this was happening.

"Call them and tell them you cannot!" and he left. He was not scary. On the contrary, he was very polite. What was scary was our ignorance of the fact that something really bad had happened that morning in our building and as the residents were coming back from their work, schools and daily errands, the police was asking them all to stay put in their homes.

Around evening, we were all called downstairs and told to go to a specific police station- everyone, including the elderly and the kids. I had never been to one (and i am utterly grateful to God for that!), and it seemed strange sitting there with all the people - people i didn’t even know lived in my building, people i had seen off and on in the lift, people i was friendly with- everyone. No one knew what to expect. Finally, we  were called in for...finger printing. 

While talking to other neighbours, it finally poured out. There had been a murder in the building that morning, and we all were being treated equally- as suspects- till the police completed its investigations. The whole exercise finished at around 10pm that night. That was my first interaction with Dubai Police, and it did not leave any impression- neither positive nor negative. I had always believed that the farther you stay from Police, the better it is.

Within the next two days, we heard that the murderer had been 'caught' while trying to flee the country. That was  my first positive impression of the efficiency of the Dubai Police. I had never before seen a more polite Police, i had never before heard of a case being 'solved' so soon.

 Fast forward to this week, a gap of almost 14 years.  A friend’s house was broken into the other night and the thieves, two people on tourist visa, were booked and all the stolen goods recovered from them in the shortest time i have ever heard!

 When my bag was stolen from a mall a couple of years back, i had to go to the Police Station a second time, and i can tell you that visiting that place is never easy- it fills you with a strange dread, makes you ask yourself if you have ever done anything wrong at all. At the same time, you can thank God that you are dealing with Dubai Police. There is no competition when it comes to their polite, confident, and courteous dealing. I think, if i knew Arabic, i would have felt even more comfortable, though most of the officers did speak Urdu/ Hindi. 

I never got my bag or my documents or my phone back, but a lot of feedback from people who were not in the wrong but on the wrong side of the table with the Police, and my own personal impressions tell me that the Police of the world have a lot to learn from our very own Dubai Police. This Police has changed my whole perception of what a Police is. Even though I still believe that the lesser you ‘need’ to get involved with  the police, the better, I am sure i am not the only one who regards Dubai Police as one of the best, if not the best. Our laws might be a bit unclear sometimes, and fast changing at other times, and sure, it would be extremely unfortunate for anyone to get into a problem with the law; especially here, but our Police excels at what it is supposed  to do- enforce those laws without unnecessarily scaring the people. I am sure more people look at the Police here as someone who could really help them when they get stuck (and not only in the sand!), as someone they need not fear if they have done nothing wrong, a Police whose amazing work and attitude needs all the recognition and appreciation from the people it strives to keep safe- us!

If only everyone did their jobs as seriously and as honestly, the world would be a near-perfect place....