RIYADH, 24 June 2007 — Riyadh authorities announced yesterday that they have prepared a security operation that will be implemented during the summer holiday to keep the neighborhoods of the capital safe.
The operation scheme started yesterday and will continue until the new school year begins in late September.
“The operation will focus on districts in the capital with high crime rates,” a statement from the Riyadh police to Arab News said yesterday.
It also said that it had taken into consideration when studying the operation the fact that many families travel outside of the capital for summer vacations and leave their homes empty.
It said that it had started implementing the operation in two phases. The first is a public one which aims at increasing patrols.
“The aim of the first phase is to deter crimes before they happen,” the statement said.
In addition, the Riyadh police said that it would cooperate with other security bodies to erect security checkpoints in many of the capital’s districts.
The second phase includes inspection units and undercover cops who will spread out in local areas such as malls, markets, housing complexes and neighborhoods. They will be given instructions to keep a lookout for suspects and report their activities.
