Home burglaries in Dubai: How to prevent them
Robberies do happen in Dubai, and the Police want to help you monitor your home (for free).
It’s easy to get lulled into an extreme sense of security in Dubai, but with the summer holiday season coming up, Dubai Police want to remind people that home burglaries do still happen.
Because of this the Police are imploring those who plan to travel soon to apply for their Home Security Service, which is completely free and means Dubai Police will patrol your home while you’re away (although it’s only available to those who live in a villa, as it’s impossible for police to patrol apartment buildings).
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There were 289 home burglaries in Dubai in 2015, which is down from 333 in 2014. Of those burglaries, 197 were in villas, 14 were in traditional homes and 122 were apartments.
Dubai Police have said they have so far successfully arrested 430 suspects of burglary, 13 of which were below 18. They said the most common method of burglary was to jump the fence of a home and then break the door.
SO HOW DOES THE HOME SECURITY SERVICE WORK?
In 2015, Dubai Police received 389 requests for the home security service, and in 2014 there were 282 requests. In 2015 Dubai Police told Gulf News that there were no burglaries in homes that had requested the service.
So what does the service involve? Well, if you register for it the police will do extra preventative patrols for the period while you’re away, as well as an initial patrol to study the location.
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So how do you sign up? You can register via the Dubai Police Smart App, at a Police Station or on the Dubai Police Website.
What if you live in an apartment and so can’t use the Police service? Well many apartments have fantastic security patrols, but if yours isn’t up to scratch, you could install an app-based security camera system in your home, you should make sure all windows and doors are locked. And, if you get magazines or newspapers delivered to your apartment, ask the company to stop doing so while you’re away.
What you need to sign up to the Dubai Police service:
– A valid UAE ID card
– An active email
– You then fill in an application form
– And then the police will contact you to confirm the request.
Also, if you forget to sign up for the service before going away on holiday, you can use the Dubai Police Smart App to register from overseas.
Might as well, right?
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– Photo: Getty