Special Edition - Abu Dhabi Police

It is with pleasure we bring to you the Special Edition comprising a range of research initiatives of Abu Dhabi Police. The range of topics reflects the diversity Abu Dhabi Police attaches to researching and implementing policing initiatives in their continuous quality improvement commitmentAbu Dhabi Police have collaborated with researchers at Rabdan Academy to develop this first of its kind special edition devoted to illustrating the range of research activities and operational initiatives undertaken in policing Abu Dhabi. The special edition offers an example of the wide spectrum of operation, management, education, and community partnerships activities in which Abu Dhabi Police pursue innovation and quality. The following is a brief introduction to the seven papers in the special edition.The paper entitled, We Are All Police (Police-2021-150) offers insight into the Abu Dhabi Police We Are All Police programme. The programme aligns to the aims and intent of volunteers in policing programmes in place in several countries across the globe. As discussed in the paper, the We are all Police programme relies on the latest technology, an App for the volunteers to record/upload information offering a direct and timely response. The We Are All Police is popular among residents from the 200 plus nationalities who reside in Abu Dhabi and demonstrates positive outcomes for the police–community partnership.One of the areas in which Abu Dhabi Police are forging positive outcomes is in the management of road traffic crashes involving heavy vehicles (Police-2021-147). This paper illustrates the modern approach to road traffic policing undertaken by Abu Dhabi Police, specifically, the use of Artificial Intelligence and Global Positioning Tracking mechanisms to address the number of collisions and the consequential deaths and injuries caused by heavy vehicle (truck) transporters. The paper discusses the implementation of an electronic heavy truck transport monitoring and enforcement system (Fugro) for individual truck movement permissions integrated with the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence and Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking supported by Smart Towers, Road Radar Cameras, Automatic number-plate recognition software, and red light violation radar cameras, providing a sophisticated comprehensive tracking and violation identification system.A unique area of study by Abu Dhabi Police is understanding the enablers of knowledge management for projects within a policing organization (Police-2021-146). The paper discusses the evidence drawn from research with police personnel managing and/or engaged in project management to understand the continuous improvement strategies for developing quality knowledge management required for successful projects.Covid-19 has brought changes to police work across the globe. In the paper titled ‘Influencing Police and Community Relations with a Soft Power Approach during Cov-19’ (Police-2021-148), the authors discuss the campaigns established by Abu Dhabi Police during Covid-19 to support community/police relationships. The paper further discusses the policing authorizations established to manage Covid-19 protocols in the community.Enhancing the policing response to Covid-19 with media engagement: the UAE’s experience is an article that presents the use of media by police in Abu Dhabi to support the response to Covid-19 (Police-2021-149). The article discusses the level and value of public trust in government and the police, and the results of utilizing media platforms to aid policing and Covid-19 management initiatives.The challenge of continuing education programmes for police during Covid-19 is the discussion point in the paper titled ‘Educating Future Police Professionals Amid Covid-19: A UAE Perspective’. With Covid-19 creating the need to rethink traditional police education approaches, the paper discusses the application of a range of teaching and learning modes and the comparative results pre- and during Covid-19 for student police officers (Police-2021-144).The final paper in the special edition signposts the attention and commitment paid by Abu Dhabi Police to the well-being of their officers. ‘Building Resilience: A case study of occupational factors influencing levels of “happiness” for Abu Police Officers’ (Police-2021-145) offers insight into the factors which contribute to high moral in a UAE police force. Understanding the elements that influence the sense of happiness in the role of policing offers a valuable contribution for human resource professionals across the global police–community. As illustrated, the special edition offers a range of topics, all of which are key areas of decision making for policing practitioners, and we commend the work for the insight it brings to policing in the UAE. We thank the Abu Dhabi Police for their support and commitment to sharing the experiences with police across the world.© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions please e-mail: [email protected]. This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model.