DUBAI // Fewer than one in six complaints made against Dubai Police officers this year have been upheld after internal investigations by the force, a senior officer said yesterday. People can file complaints with the force's grievance court if they believe they have been mistreated or if they believe police employees have abused their power Major Ahmed al Mansouri, director of the grievance court, said it had investigated 304 complaints in the first nine months of this year and found only 48 to be valid.
"The violations investigated ranges from delays in providing services, [and] refusing to carry out duties without a valid reason to more serious act such as mistreating members of the public," he said. Among the violators, he said, were "officers, policemen and administrative people". He said that "disciplinary action has been taken against all of them", and that the punishments ranged from "a warning to transfer from a job to another".
Major al Mansouri added that demotion was also a possibility, but that the punishment had not been metted out so far this year. Police staff can also be tried by the force's internal court if an accusation is deemed serious enough. The public complaint system, which was launched in August 2007, was supervised by the Department of Human Rights until April, but now fall under the jurisdiction of the grievance court.
Complaints may be submitted in either Arabic or English through the e-complaint system on the Dubai Police website - www.ecomplain.ae - or through a hotline number 800 404040. The majority of complainants this year were Emiratis, who made up about a third of the total. "It is important to emphasize that misconduct of members of our force is not tolerated under any circumstances and human rights must at all times be respected even if a person has a carried out a criminal act," Major al Mansouri said.
After the grievance court, which has about 20 employees, investigates complaints it submits its findings to the Dubai Police chief and his deputy directly. If the court finds a complaint to be valid it issues an apology letter. The injured party can file a lawsuit regardless of the findings. @Email:wissa@thenational.ae
