Middle East

OPINION: One in six people live with a significant disability, and evidence shows they face higher exposure to violence, exploitation, and procedural injustice; Col Dana Humaid Al Marzouqi, Director General of the International Affairs Bureau in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Interior, highlights some of the ways disabled people are targeted, and the steps that can be taken by policing to ensure inclusive security, including examples from the US, UAE and Portugal.

FEATURE: The increase in online Holocaust denial and disinformation, alongside the social media surge in both antisemitic and anti-Islamic language, have prompted concerns that such digital hate speech can fuel criminal acts in the real world; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the scale of online antisemitic hate crime and the work of the European Observatory of Online Hate.

FEATURE: Policing and artificial intelligence (AI) experts from the UK, Australia, US, Canada and the UAE came together recently to explore international insights into policing in the age of AI, highlighting the challenges around improving tech capability, overcoming fragmentation, the need to engage and explain to the public and police staff, and the dangers of eroding police discretion, as well as the increasing threats from the criminal use of AI, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: The World Police Summit 2025, supported by Policing Insight as media partner, is to take place in Dubai this May, bringing together thought leaders, law enforcement professionals, and global speakers from over 100 countries. Register your place today!

FEATURE: Speaking at an international workshop hosted by the University of Gothenburg and CRISP, Research Fellow Amir Cahane of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem warned that Israel Police engage in “a disturbing pattern of acquire first and ask questions later” when deploying domestic AI surveillance tools – with “a lack of legal constraints” meaning that court battles over individual cases play an outsized role, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports.

REPORT LAUNCH: Policing Insight launches a new thematic report – Facing the future: the rise of facial recognition in policing. The report aims to be a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about facial recognition; with contributions from 34 expert stakeholders from around the world, we explain the technology and highlight the big debates around its use.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Critical Communications World (CCW) unites mission-critical and business-critical end-users with manufacturers and suppliers for three days of inspiration, knowledge and connections. CCW returns 14th - 16th May 2024 at Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

FEATURE: The conflict between Israel and Hamas has seen huge increases in hate crimes (both Islamophobia and antisemitism) around the world; but the sharp rise in antisemitic attacks reflects a trend that predates the current crisis in Gaza, prompting the launch of an EU strategy on targeting antisemitism and a call for police and others to collaborate on protecting Jewish places of worship, schools, and community gatherings, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

FEATURE: As the UK’s Covid-19 public inquiry continues to hear testimony from politicians, police chiefs and many others involved in the response to the pandemic, lessons around the importance of disaster planning and preparation are already emerging; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the work of the EU-funded CORE project, which is studying the impact of and response to several major international disasters to highlight the key learning points.

FEATURE: Former Sussex Detective Chief Inspector Alison Eaton, now an international sexual and gender-based violence expert and trainer, is playing a key role in setting up SARC-style services for refugee and local community victims in Jordan, in a project which could become international best practice, as she explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

FEATURE: The ongoing violence and conflict in Israel and Palestine have led to more examples of religious hatred and acts of terrorism across Europe, with religious sites increasingly viewed as possible targets; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest initiative to ensure such places of worship are safe and secure, while also promoting interfaith dialogue.

OPINION: The recent attacks on Israel by Hamas, and the response of the Israeli Defence Force in Gaza, have prompted long and heated debates about the terminology used to describe the actions and those involved; but former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher, now a police lecturer and terrorism specialist, argues that there is a clear definition of terrorism and terrorist activity, the criteria for which can used to measure the actions of both sides in this conflict.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: In two weeks, the Dubai Police will host the second edition of the World Police Summit, the world’s most influential gathering of law enforcement officials, security experts, and decision makers. The Summit will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 7-9 March 2023, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

OPINION: As the World Cup heads towards its climax in Qatar, former public order specialist Owen West, now a Senior Policing Lecturer, believes some law enforcement attitudes and approaches to football fans suggest an unjustified level of prejudice not witnessed in any other sporting or social arena – one which needs to be re-thought to address legitimacy and confidence in policing.

ANALYSIS: This month’s ANZPAA Conference offered another opportunity to learn more about brain fingerprinting, and the potential for its use in law enforcement investigations and deception detection; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the background to this cutting-edge technology, research on its operational performance to date, and how it could benefit policing and criminal justice systems moving forwards.

ANALYSIS: As recent terrorist attacks in Israel have increased tensions again in the region, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks back at the first incident of exported terrorism from the UK – the 2003 bombing of Mike’s Place in Tel Aviv – and considers how such events have shaped the country’s counter-terror stance and response to home-grown terrorism.

FEATURE: Police forces around the world have established special weapons and tactics (SWAT) units to tackle some of the most dangerous and demanding situations; the recent international UAE SWAT Challenge in Dubai gave forces the opportunity to test their skills, share experiences and exchange best practice, as Dr Jorge Román of Dubai Police explains.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Mission-critical communications and public safety specialists Hytera have built their market-leading reputation on a combination of resilience, reliability, innovation and adaptability – characteristics that are embodied in their latest products on show at this year’s World Police Summit in Dubai, as Policing Insight’s Keith Potter reports.

INNOVATION: Four years ago Dubai Police launched its first Smart Police Station (SPS) driven by artificial intelligence (AI), as part of the force’s wider Strategic Plan for the use of AI: Dr Jorge Román and Khalifa Al Room of Dubai Police explain the reasoning behind the development of the SPS, how it works, and the impact it has already had on interaction between the police and the community.

Top Articles 2021: Policing Insight Editor Keith Potter leads the team in selecting their favourite articles published in 2021. The editorial team have each selected their ‘Top 3’ picks and we have made them freely available during the Christmas period for all users with at least a free registered account. We hope you enjoy our selections!

FEATURE: The recent conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas has heightened tensions and led to an increase in religious hatred far beyond the Middle East; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports on initiatives across Europe to strengthen community cohesion and prevent extremists from launching successful attacks on and around places of worship.

INNOVATION: A recent murder investigation by Dubai Police highlighted the significant advances in brainwave science technology as a method of deception detection; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at how P300 could revolutionise lie detector tests, and why a continued focus on polygraph testing may leave the UK criminal justice system behind the times.

FEATURE: While the private sector is increasingly recognising and benchmarking the importance of a high-quality workplace environment in achieving improved performance, the public sector his still some way behind; Dubai Police consultant Jorge Román explains how the force is leading the way, by becoming the first police agency to secure accreditation from the Great Place to Work Institute.

FEATURE: With public confidence in policing high on the agenda of many forces, Dubai Police has developed new initiatives around citizen focus, community engagement and victim support to help deliver greater customer satisfaction; Dubai Police consultant Jorge Román and Captain Dr Abdullah Al Shaikh, Head of the force’s Victim Support Programme, explain the approach.