Makkah police have their work cut out during the pilgrimage seasons. Not only are they responsible for the ease of movement of hundreds of thousands of people congregating at the Grand Mosque and areas in the vicinity, they are also on the look out for irresponsible motorists, petty crime, and infringements of health regulations. Each officer also keeps a list of persons wanted in connection with a whole variety of criminal activities. A tour with personnel from Makkah Police's Preventive Security and Criminal Investigations Department gave a first-hand glimpse of their tasks and the work involved in keeping unwanted incidents to a minimum. Mid-afternoon, near the central post office in Al-Ma'lah, checkpoint officers inspecting motorists' documents identified two persons wanted in connection with minor criminal activities shortly before Asr prayer. Forced to stop the flow of traffic and conduct investigations, the officers ordered an alternative checkpoint be set up to ease the passage of worshippers and ensure that their work impeded traffic flow as little as possible. The elderly and the disabled were of particular concern as they tried to navigate through the crowds to the Grand Mosque. Motorbike scourge As prayers were in progress, security officials were called into action to arrest two motorbike taxi riders who were transporting people to and from the central zone. When they were stopped and asked for identification, it transpired that they were both in violation of residency and labor laws. The motorbikes they were using were also registered as stolen. The two were detained and handed over to the Deportation Department while their vehicles were taken away to be returned to their rightful owners. Motorbikes and their riders are a constant problem. At one point during the day an official requested a motorbike to stop in order to check identification papers, but the rider sped off, ignoring shouts to stop, at which point the official tried to grab him. To evade his clutches, the rider revived up and tried to mount a pavement but instead crashed and turned his vehicle over, giving himself severe burns on the legs in the process. The Red Crescent was immediately called and when the rider was investigated it turned out his vehicle was stolen and that he himself was an illegal immigrant with no identification papers. Illegal use of Zamzam Later in the evening, an hour- and-a-half before Iftar, Preventive Security and CID patrols sped to Kuday following information concerning distributors of Zamzam water in Kuday. Blocking entrances and exits, officials moved in and seized 500 cans filled with Zamzam water destined to be handed out at the gates of Makkah by unlicensed groups. The water was instead sent to mosques and some was given to the Charity Warehouse from where it would be passed on to needy families. List of wanted Every security team carries with it lists of persons wanted in connection with security incidents, as well as others wanted for various crimes or in connection with lawsuits. All Points Bulletins are issued for suspects wanted for arrest. The lists are fundamental to police work, as when they set up spontaneous inspection points they scrutinize the list while studying identification papers and other documents in the possession of motorists and passengers. Any suspicious person has his or her name put through the system and their papers are verified. The procedure for all these measures takes place swiftly, and on this day two persons were detained through the process and passed over to the authorities concerned. Change of perception Preventive Security and CID officials see their primary function as preventing crime, and they also lay great emphasis on their good-natured handling of pilgrims. “We are striving to change the view that police officers are just there arresting criminals into a wider perception that security officials are members of society devoted to the service of others by helping Umrah pilgrims and curbing unwanted activities,” said Major Muhammad Dhafer Al-Shehri of Makkah Police. “We have a great humanitarian role to play.” Police Sergeant Faisal Al-Masri said prevention came top of the list. “Our main job is to stop crime before it happens,” Al-Masri said. “Arresting illegal peddlers, water sellers, unlicensed salesmen, and beggars, and facilitating the movement of pilgrims and tending to their needs are our main tasks. We also stop a lot of motorbikes.” Holidays suspended The pilgrim seasons mean that Makkah Police are on a state of alert, and all vacations have been suspended during Ramadan to ensure the force is working at maximum potential. This year all personnel are being given periodical medical check-ups which are conducted more frequently for officials assigned to crowded areas to ensure no one has contracted swine flu. According to Abdul Mohsin Al-Maiman, spokesman for Makkah Police, not a single officer has been affected by the virus. “Officers have been instructed on the dangers of the virus and how to protect themselves from it,” Al
