Interior Ministry sets new security strategies [Archives:2007/1019/Front Page]
By: Moneer Al-Omari
SANA'A, Jan. 24 ) The Ministry of Interior is to formulate a new strategy to maintain security, determine the various motivations behind criminal behavior and come up with efficient tactics to fight crime, after it felt its previous techniques increasingly were dysfunctional.
At a conference held in Sana'a, the ministry decided to conduct a case study on crimes and the means whereby it can fight them. It further assured the necessity of activating the Civil Defense Department's role in implementing rescue and disaster prevention and response. According to media sources, the ministry wants to turn the department into an independent administration.
At the second session attended by Ministry of Health representatives, attendees discussed securing health insurance for all state employees and Interior Ministry affiliates. The conference also reviewed a plan submitted by the security sector related to administrating crises and facing emergencies.
Gen. Mohammed Al-Qusi, deputy interior minister for the general security sector, noted that the ministry managed to control 35,024 crimes nationwide last year, including 15,645 flagrant crimes. He rated the ministry's 2006 performance at 93 percent.
According to Al-Qusi, there's a crime every 15 minutes, amounting to 679 crimes a week and 21,049 crimes a month. Furthermore, 2006 witnessed an increase in crime, with 682 incidents incurring more than YR 3 billion in material losses.
For his part, Interior Minister Rashad Al-Alimi declared that 2007 will witness more qualitative developments in a way that serves to upgrade security engagement within the frame of ministry plans and President Ali Abdullah Saleh's directives.
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Al-Alimi said the ministry will attempt to achieve further success and engage more in those fields serving society, mainly traffic, civil defense, disaster management, criminal investigations and developing police stations.
The Interior Ministry has embarked on a plan to establish typical police stations able to provide citizens qualitative service. The ministry nearly has completed setting the infrastructure for the institutional and organizational establishment of police departments and stations in almost all Yemeni governorates and districts.
According to plans set forth in 2006, a security and safety center will be implemented in 2007 with foreign support. The center will constitute a comprehensive security electronic database and link all security departments across Yemen to the Sana'a headquarters, Al-Alimi explained.
He went on to say that a comprehensive civil registry will be prepared during 2007 and 2008 by adopting fingerprinting and eye-scanning when issuing identity cards. The registry will be used during 2009 parliamentary elections.
Concluding his speech, Al-Alimi promised that Interior Ministry affiliates will work hard to perform their duties and upgrade the work of all security apparatuses to reach their aims and aspirations.
He also vowed that the ministry will help implement financial and administrative reforms, combat corruption, enact internal and centralized control over state resources, create partnerships with citizens and civil society organizations, work to defend human rights and freedoms and fight terrorism and extremism.
Attending the conference's conclusion, President Saleh assured that Yemeni security apparatuses have managed to control crime, including organized terrorism. He stressed the importance of foiling crimes before they occur, asking all security apparatuses to coordinate with each another and with armed forces. He further demanded establishing a supreme security committee to illuminate crimes.
Saleh also praised security forces' performance during last September's presidential and local elections and asked them to remain alert to prevent crimes prior to their occurrence.
“You must keep on the alert to face all kinds of terrorism, which harms security and stability because terrorism affects development and investors. With the existence of stability and security, investments will increase,” he noted, adding, “No one appreciates stability and security except those who suffer a lack of stability and security.”
The president also asked citizens to help police because “security is everyone's responsibility.” He maintained that such forces always receive information from citizens, which helps prevent crime.
“We can only create comprehensive development with security and stability. Unless there's security and facilitation of privileges, no investor will come and risk his money,” he added.
Saleh urged citizens to turn over their heavy weapons while calling upon the Yemeni Parliament to hasten issuing the law banning arms bearing.
“We are against the possession of heavy arms; however, citizens still can keep small arms, such as pistols and Kalashnikovs. The law aims to regulate arms possession and arms bearing,” he explained.
Concluding his speech, Saleh called upon all security apparatuses, prosecutions and governors not to interfere with judicial rulings because they are decisive. “Security apparatuses should enforce court verdicts and I warn against playing with such rulings,” Saleh declared.
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