Police officers' skills are tested

DUBAI // Police officers in Abu Dhabi are being assessed to determine if, for example, they speak English well enough and have empathy for ordinary people. Lt Col Obaid al Darmaki, the manager of the Ministry of Interior's recently formed leadership and creativity centre, said the assessments were aimed at determining "areas of strength and areas of weakness in order to develop these aspects and come up with a sort of chart of the person to find out where they need to be improved".

They are also intended to bolster the "skills of current [police] leaders and prepare future ones", he said, as officers found lacking in certain areas will be given the opportunity to enrol in special training courses. About 800 officers have been assessed so far. Their leadership, communication and teamwork skills are also being tested. "You might find someone whose English is not perfect, or someone in a leadership position who has hypertension," said Lt Col al Darmaki.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the two-day International Talent Conference in Dubai, which was organised by the ministry and Etisalat Academy. The gathering wrapped up on Thursday. @Email:[e-mail]