The number of crimes recorded in Ajman last year fell by 17 per cent, police said. Ajman Police dealt with 6,196 offences in 2018 - down from 7,487 the year previous. The force cited the introduction of 100,000 surveillance cameras installed in residential and commercial buildings in the emirate and a move to demolish eight abandoned buildings and seize 162 cars used to shelter criminals as key to the reduction. Major Gen Abdullah bin Sultan Al Nuami, commander in chief of Ajman Police, said the crime-fighting initiatives had led to members of the community feeling safer. The police chief said the force had also carried out campaigns to tackle begging and improve street lighting to stop criminals operating in the shadows. “Police also worked hand in hand with owners of residential buildings to install lampposts in unlit streets, carried out 12 security campaigns to combat illegal activities which resulted in the arrest of 70 beggars last year,” said Maj Gen Al Nuami. The amount of deaths on Ajman's roads fell from 18 in 2017 to 17 last year, while the number of people injured in traffic accidents declined from 244 to 209 in the same period. A total of 324,976 traffic violations were recorded in 2018 - a sharp increase of 16 per cent on the 280,918 offences recorded the previous year - with police highlighting the installation of 118 new traffic radars as a reason for more drivers being caught out. The driving licenses of 443 driver were suspended due to violations in 2018 compared to 298 suspensions the previous year. Police response times have been cut from 10.2 minutes in 2017 to an average of 7.44 minutes, Maj Gen Al Nuami said.
