Sheikha Salama Honoured With Dubai Police's Shield Of Happiness For Enhancing K9 Operations

H.H. Sheikha Salama bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was recently honoured with Dubai Police's ‘Shield of Happiness’ for her significant contributions towards enhancing the operations of the K9 Security Inspection Department. This accolade was bestowed upon her during the opening ceremony of the K9 Conference, a key component of the third World Police Summit, which took place from 5 – 7 March 2024. The event saw the presence of Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, alongside officers from various police forces and experts in security inspection.

Sheikha Salama's involvement has been pivotal in acquiring rare police dog breeds for specialized security tasks and improving Dubai Police's operational capabilities through over 1900 hours of advanced training for both handlers and dogs, in partnership with Sahara Kennel. This initiative has significantly boosted the department's efficiency in carrying out its duties.

During his opening speech, Major Salah Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Director of the K9 Security Inspection Department at Dubai Police, underscored the importance of previous K9 Conferences in fostering advancements in security inspection and the utilization of police dogs. He emphasized this year’s focus on overcoming challenges related to deploying police dogs in search and rescue missions during natural and humanitarian crises. Highlighting recent global events, Major Al Mazrouei pointed out the necessity for continuous readiness, skill enhancement, and knowledge exchange to guarantee an effective emergency response by well-trained personnel and police dogs.

The 2024 conference delved into the health and preparedness of police dogs, featuring over ten specialized papers from international experts. It also examined new strategies for employing police dogs to meet contemporary security challenges.

Major Salah Al Mazrouei reiterated Dubai Police's commitment to innovatively utilizing police dogs in various operations, following directives from Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri. This dedication is part of a broader strategy to enhance security, prevent crime, and ensure community safety through specialized training, adoption of smart technologies, and ongoing training.

The conference showcased the latest practices in search and rescue operations with speakers like Alois Balog, President of the International Search and Rescue Organisation, and Dr. Alexander Honel, Vice President of Deployment at the International Association for Rescue Dogs. Vassiliki Statopoulo discussed common gastrointestinal disorders in German Shepherds, shedding light on health concerns specific to this breed.

Topics covered at the conference included K9 technologies and innovation in deploying police detection dogs to tackle modern security threats. Discussions also touched upon factors affecting dogs' stability and stress management, surgical interventions, recent developments in explosive detection training, nutritional requirements for working dogs, and enhancements in police dog care.

This comprehensive approach to discussing and addressing various aspects related to the use of police dogs underscores Dubai Police's ongoing efforts to stay at the forefront of security innovation. Through specialized training and technological advancements, Dubai Police aims to continue setting benchmarks in security operations and emergency response capabilities.

With inputs from WAM