DUBAI // Drivers who leave their lorries unattended may return to find that they have been stolen – by the police.
The mock thefts are part of a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of making lorries and the goods they carry an easy target for criminals.
Lt Col Ahmed al Merri, the director of the Emirate's CID, said his department will carry out fake thefts of vehicles to teach lorry drivers and shop owners a practical lesson on the repercussion of leaving their belongings unattended.
"We will have patrols going around areas in Dubai, especially in commercial areas such as Naif and Rifa'a, and spotting unattended lorries or goods. We will take the lorry or goods aside and make them believe that they have been stolen," he said.
The police will then turn up and let the drivers know that they were the one who seized the items and explain that this could have been an opportunistic criminal instead.
"One main element of thefts is that the criminal sees an opportunity in stealing, so by leaving goods unattended one increases the risk. This is the message we want to convey in order to prevent such crimes," Lt Col al Merri said.
The campaign, "Protect Your Money and Live in Peace", was launched yesterday by Dubai Police and is expected to last for one month. Police will make field visits and hand out booklets to educate lorry drivers and shop owners on the risks of leaving their goods unattended while they make deliveries or run errands.
Brig Khalil al Mansouri, director general of CID, said companies and drivers need to understand the need to keep an eye on their lorries and maybe even appoint a person who will guard the goods until they are in safe keeping.
Seven thefts of unattended lorries have been registered in Dubai this year. Last year, 12 thefts were registered in total.
Col Saleh Obeid, director of Al Rashidiya Police Station, who will supervise the campaign, said: "We have made an effort to raise awareness in the past and, as the statistics have shown, this has led to a drop in the theft cases. That is why we decided to have this comprehensive campaign."
The police, in cooperation with the economic department, RTA and the municipality, have been handing out fines for unattended lorries, which can reach up to Dh5,000. Last year, 15 fines were given to drivers who left their lorries unattended, police records show.
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Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
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Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
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For first two Test in India Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson , Dom Bess, Stuart Broad , Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes. Reserves James Bracey, Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.
Cherry
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Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo
1/5
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Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Two-and-a-half out of five stars
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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
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Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
