Dubai Police urges residents to make use of home security service when away on holiday

Earlier this month, Dubai Police said registrations for the home security service programme had increased by 10 per cent compared to last year

A screengrab from the Dubai Police video.
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On horseback or in patrol cars, Dubai Police will pull up in front of the houses of holidaying residents to watch over the residences of those who have signed up for its home security service. 
The free service is promoted in a new animated video on Dubai Police's social media accounts showing mounted police riding by, a patrol unit with flashing lights and an unmarked CID car driving by after a family departs on vacation.


A friendly policeman then explains the procedure to register online at the Dubai Police website, by clicking on the home safety section, via the app or by filling out a form at the nearest police station.
Residents require a valid UAE identity card, an active email address, should secure all entrances and windows when they leave, deposit money and valuables in the bank, shut off water taps and the electricity and ask a friend or relative to check for water leaks, according to information on the website. 
Assuring residents their home will be in safe hands, police have urged people to register, pointing out that "whether you live in a house or a villa, a break-in can permanently shatter your feeling of security at home. Therefore, the General Department of Criminal Investigations has initiated a free security service to protect houses during the absence of their owners while away on a long vacation."
Earlier this month, Dubai Police said registrations for the home security service programme had increased by 10 per cent compared to last year.
Since its launch in 2001, the service had helped reduce the rate of home burglaries, police said. 
Police have previously said that no villas that registered with the service had been burgled.