Brigadier Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Director of the General Department of Criminal Investigation, said the cameras would be installed in phases to monitor traffic offences and criminal issues.

A CID team will determine the locations where the cameras would be installed. “Their number is not much because each camera can cover a large area,” Brig Al Mansouri said.

The Dubai Police already have more than 25,000 cameras on roads and in places like hotels, malls, airports and jewellery shops which have helped in detecting criminal activities and traffic offences. One such major instance was when the footage helped the police detect the people behind the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud Al Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel on January 20, 2010.

These cameras are beside the 3,000-odd cameras and radars of the Roads and Transport Authority whose footage is also shared by the police.

Brig Al Mansouri said CID personnel work in shifts at the police Operations Room to keep an eye on these recordings of these cameras.  “The number of general surveillance cameras in Dubai increases by 5 per cent every year,” he said, noting that they play a significant role in keeping order without breaching personal privacy. The law allows the use of cameras, provided they do not breach the privacy. The Dubai Police respect and appreciate personal freedom, but the cameras are one of the important tools to ensure safety and security. — news@khaleejtimes.com