Members of the 7th edition of Sharjah Youth Parliament convened a special session with representatives from Sharjah Police to discuss issues related to community safety. The session was held on the second and final day of the ‘Manarat Watan’ ceremony, by Sharjah Youth, an affiliate of Rubu' Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators, under the theme ‘From Sharjah’s Youth to the World’.

The session discussed cybercrime, anti-drug campaigns, cyber drugs, and road accidents, with members suggesting their ideas to enhance safety and security in the UAE.

The participants from Sharjah Police included Brigadier General Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, Deputy Commander-in-Chief; Lt. Col. Ahmed Al Marri, Director of the Community PoliceDepartment; Lt. Col. Abdul Rahman Khalfan Al Khayyal, Head of District Councils Affairs Department; Capt. Saud Al Sheba, Awareness and Traffic Information Department; and First Assistant Rashed Al Shehhi from the Anti-Narcotics Department.

Members’ suggestions included dedicating a hotline to receive reports from minors, with all calls and information received treated as confidential. Another suggestion was to install a radar to detect drivers who do not turn on their car headlights, putting themselves and others at risk.

A fingerprint identification system which can be installed in cars to reduce the occurrence of underage driving and potential car crashes was also suggested by one of the members.

Other suggestions included a ‘Police Innovation Award’ to enhance and develop the services provided at police stations and open up new communication channels between the police and members of the community; creating a competition or an academy dedicated to creative youth to support police work through their skills and talents; investing in young people’s skills in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and establishing academic courses and majors at universities focusing on modern safety solutions using AI applications; and launch a digital application called ‘We are all Police’ to promote residents’ participation in keeping their communities safe.

The session concluded with an interactive discussion and a question and answer session where members of Sharjah Police responded to members’ various queries. The delegation will deliberate upon the members’ suggestions, and stated that Sharjah Police would fully cooperate with the Sharjah Youth Parliament members and other relevant organisations to implement their suggestions.

The Sharjah Police delegation toured the ‘Manarat Watan’ ceremony’s nine platforms focusing on Sharjah Youth’s achievements in various disciplines and arts such as life skills, mime, music, manga, puppet and shadow shows as well as science, technology and sports.

The Manarat Watan ceremony was held on November 26 and 27 at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre in Sharjah and aimed to highlight and celebrate the skills, talents and achievements of Sharjah Youth members.