Dubai Police is one of the most modern police services involving over fifteen thousand employees.1 It is concerned with cultural and technological advancement and provides a high level of security for Dubai citizens, residents, and visitors. It supports the values of transparency, cooperation, justice, professionalism, and team spirit. Publicity is one of Dubai Police peculiarities, which is achieved through cooperation with the media. This report provides an analysis of the media activity of the Dubai Police and some of its procedures.
Dubai Police Media Center
Dubai Police has its own Media Center. It includes such sections as a photo gallery, video gallery, news, events, magazines, and new services. Photo and video galleries publish materials from diverse events involving police including some history of the police department. It is an interesting fact that Dubai Police has its magazines. They include Al Amn Magazine, Khalid Magazine for children, Safety and Security, Nation Without Drugs, and Al Asass Magazine.2 Most of them are published monthly and present the activity of the police service. Apart from informative, these magazines have an educational function, Khalid Magazine in particular.
Dubai Police does not allow distribution, reproduction, transfer, reposting, publishing, or other use of information and materials published by them. Thus, in case other organizations or media want to publish or use any materials provided by Dubai Police, they need the authorization to do so, otherwise, they violate copyright legislation. Dubai Police does not publish information about any procedures about how the representatives of media can get access to case materials to publish them. However, there must be an algorithm for how media agencies should apply for information and be authorized to publish photos or any other materials about a crime.
Dubai Police and Crime Reporting and Publication
Dubai Police is a modern service applying the advantages of technological progress. Thus, they actively employ GPS or face detection technologies in their work. One of the services popularized by Dubai Police is crime reporting, which becomes easier due to the application on mobile devices.3 The application is called Dubai Police Eye service. It allows Dubai residents to report diverse crimes or law violations any time they notice them. The major purpose of the application and the service as a whole is to increase public satisfaction and improve reaction to crimes from the side of the police service.
However, crime scenes should not be somehow recorded without permission to avoid any undesirable consequences. Thus, the police arrested a man who recorded and posted some photos and a video depicting a crime scene.4 The police reported that the man was arrested after the video he published started being spread and discussed on social media. The officials accuse him of misuse of the device and violation of other people’s privacy because he filmed the police officers performing their duty.
Media Regulations in the United Arab Emirates
The activities of all media in the United Arab Emirates are regulated at the federal level by the National Media Council.5 The Council is a government body, which controls all the media affairs throughout the country. It deals with any type of media including traditional ones such as newspapers and magazines, and digital sources as well. To print, publish, or broadcast any media content, a media agency or institution needs a license of the National Media Council. Federal Law about press and publications restricts some content from being published or broadcasted. The violation of the law can result in penalties for the publishing companies. For example, the prohibited media content includes such issues as “distorted proceedings and deliberations of courts or other regulatory bodies,” and “information on a criminal investigation, which has not been concluded and/or ordered to be confidential.”6 Consequently, media agencies have to be careful with publishing information about crimes at any stage of the investigation to avoid penalties or other restrictions. To secure themselves, media should publish information that was previously checked and the publication of which is allowed by the corresponding authorities.
Conclusion
On the whole, media policy in the UAE as a whole and Dubai, in particular, is under the influence of Arab traditions. The influence of government, as well as traditional values, is very strong in different spheres including media activity. Dubai Police, although being a public institution and following the policy of transparency, has the initial right to publish information about crimes or criminals. At the same time, media agencies need the authorization to publish issues related to crimes. Moreover, individuals should be careful in their social media activity, because the publication of crime scenes can be considered a violation of privacy and lead to arrest or other legal consequences. To summarizing, it should be mentioned that Dubai is a law-obedient city in a traditional country where federal laws should be followed. Despite contemporary tendencies to more freedom of speech, including freedom of the press, the activity of media agencies is regulated by the government. These regulations include restrictions of the published content and specific procedures in case of publishing information from police investigations.
Reference List
About Us, [website], 2018, Web.
M. Al Serkal, New Dubai Police App to Report Crimes, [website], 2016, Web.
Magazines, [website], 2018, Web.
Media in the UAE, [website], 2018, Web.
Police Arrest Man for Posting a Crime Scene Online, [website], 2018, Web.
Footnotes
- About Us, [website], 2018, Web.
- Magazines, [website], 2018, Web.
- M. Al Serkal, New Dubai Police App to Report Crimes, [website], 2016, Web.
- Police Arrest Man for Posting a Crime Scene Online, [website], 2018, Web.
- Media in the UAE, [website], 2018, Web.
- Media in the UAE, [website], 2018, Web.