Social media has become an important crime-fighting tool for Dubai Police as more than 600 offences were reported on its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram page last year. Police received 636 complaints and tip offs, on its social media accounts, for wanted criminals or reporting illegal activities including traffic offences and drugs. “We have been approached 13,909 times via all our social media platforms by people submitting different queries,” said Maj Khalid Al Marri, head of social media section at Dubai Police’s security media department. “The reports have been each referred to the competent department to deal with, such as the traffic department, anti-narcotics or the criminal investigations departments.” Last month, police received a tip off about three young men, who shared a video on Snapchat in which they appeared to be smoking cannabis. The information was shared with the anti-narcotics department, leading to their arrest. The force protects the privacy of its informers and asks them to send emails, which are kept confidential. “We don’t allow the details of a report or a crime to be posted online, because we serve to protect the security and the privacy of people,” said Capt Juma Al Jallaf from the social media section. Six employees attend to people's’ questions and complaints in Arabic and English. “They are well-informed about the laws [and can] answer people’s queries.” Social media has also helped the police assist those in need. “We’ve been helped by our followers on many occasions. They once helped us through Twitter to identify a 50-year-old Pakistani man who was at the hospital and wasn’t responsive and didn’t carry identification cards,” said Captain Al Jallaf.
