JEDDAH, 23 December — Director of Public Security Maj. Gen. Asaad Abdul Kareem Al-Fareeh has urged police officials to be firm but extremely tactful while handling crisis situations.
Addressing a meeting of officers from various law enforcement agencies at the Police Training Institute on Friday, Al-Fareeh said police should not make any distinction between ordinary people and VIPs when they are discharging their duties.
He deplored the reluctance of policemen to register offenses committed by influential people because they feared retaliatory action. "This is because the mindset of policemen has not changed," Al-Watan newspaper quoted Al-Fareeh as saying.
He also decried the uncivil conduct by policemen in their daily dealings with the public, both Saudis and expatriates.
At the meeting, the public security chief replied to the questions from all levels of officials. He added that the current meeting was held under the orders of Interior Minister Prince Naif.
The policeman should inform the control room before waving down any suspect vehicle for inspection. The chief advised that the patrol vehicle should be parked behind, and not in front of, vehicles driven by suspects. If the officer sensed danger, he should call for support. Al-Fareeh cited an incident in which three policemen were disarmed by a man when they stopped his car.
He stressed the importance of polite behavior when dealing with the public — both Saudis and expatriates — particularly in markets and on streets. He also expressed his displeasure with some patrol men who often do not bother to register traffic offenses they observe.
A policeman complained that the department has been hurriedly retiring police personnel and replacing them with inexperienced youths who have only a few months’ training.
Al-Fareeh said the move did not mean that the department no longer required their services, but was instead part of a general attempt to revitalize the security apparatus.
He noted that police vehicles were often seen parked outside coffeehouses at times when they should have been helping people in distress.
The police chief defended the new recruits by saying that they are more productive and have good educational qualifications. He emphasized that a three-month training is enough for a committed officer to prove his competence.
Al-Fareeh pointed out that 7,000 youths have completed training at the police institute and had been absorbed into the department.
Answering a question, the police chief said the department was considering a move to abolish punishment transfers to remote regions. He also informed the policemen that more divisions would get higher allowances for field duties and stressed the merits of the health insurance scheme. Some traffic policemen complained that they have been forced to pay for the repair of patrol vehicles.
