Security and development are closely connected — if one fails, so does the other. Our trust in our security forces is unshakable, and we are on the same side in the war against those who, belonging to whatever group, are trying to destabilize the Kingdom.
It is because I want to help the security forces in their work and give them greater scope in controlling the situation that I would like to put the following proposal to Interior Minister Prince Naif.
The Kingdom’s police force is under a directorate general in each region; that directorate oversees the work of all police departments. The problem is that in some cities only one police station is responsible for several neighborhoods. Sometimes more than 10 neighborhoods are served by a single station, putting great pressure on an already undermanned office and resulting in lapses in security.
The rise in serious crime, which includes theft, deadly assault and drug abuse may well be the result of the unlimited freedom of movement enjoyed by the Kingdom’s residents. This freedom, it seems, is being abused by certain elements to commit crimes.
People move from one place to another, rent houses and shops, open businesses, store weapons and ammunition, all without being asked to show valid identification documents and without neighbors knowing what kind of people they are.
In blatant violation of the country’s immigration laws, foreigners rent houses and continue to live among the population with the help of some Saudi citizens.
Under these circumstances, police stations should be supported by smaller “control posts” operating within each neighborhood. The posts’ main responsibility would be to prevent crime, as opposed to simply reporting it. Aided by modern information technology, the posts could work in cooperation with the umdah — the local civilian neighborhood head — to keep tabs on every individual living in the area. He would know how many people live in each building, how many shops and small businesses are in a given street, who has just moved in and who has left. He should also make sure that no houses or shops are rented or vacated without his knowledge.
This system is applied in many parts of the world. In Egypt, for example, nobody can rent a house or lease it without the control posts being notified in advance. The introduction of this system, together with activating the role of umdah and the introduction of night patrols, would greatly help in controlling the security situation.
