In a coordinated effort between the Suspects and Criminal Phenomena Department of the General Department of Criminal Investigation and Dubai police stations, nine beggars were arrested across Dubai on the first day of Ramadan.
The crackdown is part of the ‘A Conscious Society, Free of Beggars’ campaign launched by the Dubai Police in collaboration with strategic partners, including the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Municipality, the Islamic Affairs, and Charitable Activities Department, and Al Ameen Service, aimed at preserving the emirate’s civilised image by combating and preventing begging.
The director of the Suspects and Criminal Phenomena Department in the General Department of Criminal Investigation at Dubai Police, Brigadier Ali Salem Al Shamsi, stated that the anti-begging campaign is among the successful initiatives conducted in partnership with partners, contributing to a yearly reduction in the number of beggars due to strict and decisive actions against offenders. “The first day of Ramadan saw the arrest of nine individuals, including five males and four females,” he said.
Al Shamsi confirmed that Dubai Police annually devises a comprehensive security plan to combat begging, intensifying patrols where beggars are likely to be found. He further stated that the Dubai Police, in their ongoing commitment to combat all negative phenomena affecting the community, annually monitors the fraudulent methods used by beggars in order to develop plans and programs to prevent these activities. “This ultimately leads to the apprehension of those involved, thereby protecting the community,” Al Shamsi continued.
Exploiting Compassion
He also emphasised the lengths to which beggars will go to exploit the public’s goodwill, especially during significant times like the holy month. He urged the community to be wary of their manipulations, which can take various forms, including the exploitation of children, patients, and people of determination in begging to elicit sympathy. “Several cases have been reported of women begging while accompanied by children,” Al Shamsi added.
He highlighted that the campaign targets all forms of begging, whether traditional—found in prayer gatherings, community meetings, and markets—or non-traditional, such as online begging and soliciting donations for building mosques abroad or claiming to need help for humanitarian reasons.
Al Shamsi emphasized that the campaign aims to achieve several key objectives, including maintaining the community’s dignified image and protecting it from crimes related to both traditional and electronic begging. “Official entities and charitable organisations are available for those needing financial assistance or services like “Iftar for the Fasting,” he noted.
Reporting Channels
Moreover, Al Shamsi advised against responding to beggars’ pleas or interacting with them out of pity, encouraging the public to report beggars immediately via the contact center (901) or the ‘Police Eye’ service on the Dubai Police smart app, as well as to report cases of electronic begging through the ‘E-crime’ online platform.
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