The practical side of law enforcement

A quadrangle in one of the main buildings at the University of Sharjah (UOS) was cordoned off by authorities last week as a body lay limp on the ground. The body was in fact a dummy in a mock crime scene set up by the Dubai Crime Scene Investigation Unit as part of an on-campus criminology exhibition. The fifth annual Criminal Investigation Exhibition was organised by the Student Law Association at the women's section of UOS to educate students about the practical side of law enforcement. The exhibition saw the likes of the Dubai Crime Scene Investigation Department, the Dubai Drug Enforcement Agency, the Public Prosecution and Dubai Airport Security come together under one roof. "We want to raise general awareness about criminology and the different types of biotechnology techniques the UAE uses to fight crime," said Fatima Al Joker, 19, President of the Student Law Association at UOS. "As law students what we learn in college is all theoretical as we mainly read texts but at this exhibition everything is practical which helps us gain a broader understanding." More than ten UAE law enforcement departments came together to show people how they work with latest technologies in their quest to keep the UAE safe. "People get to see how each department works, for example, what actually happens at a crime scene investigation and what happens to evidence in the lab," said Fatima. "Even the Drug Enforcement Agency showcases real samples of drugs and paraphernalia to raise student and public awareness." The exhibition has seen annual growth since its establishment in 2007 as this year saw 11 law enforcement departments participate, which is three more than last year's eight. Zeina Ahmad, 27, believes people may still be a bit apprehensive although the three-day showcase is open to students and any interested members of the public. This was illustrated by the fact that by the second day of the exhibition only one member of the general public had visited. "We've had a lot of visitors from around the university but only one member of the public who heard about us through Twitter," said Zeina. "Because we are a ladies college it might be a sensitive topic to be open to the public…but we are expecting improvement as the years go by." Hashim Al Wali from the Drugs Hazards Awareness Section of Dubai Police said the participation of his department may seem odd in a criminology exhibition, however it was crucial. "Our role here may differ from other departments as people don't often realise that drugs do play a role in crime," he said. "Drug use sometimes results in the death of takers or crimes committed by or because of them."