Al Nahda buildings flout Dubai safety guidelines

Spotting strangers in building corridors, who seek work or money, is turning out to be a norm in areas around Al Nahda, Muhaisnah and Al Qusais.

And the reason for their easy access to these residential buildings is the lack of adequate monitoring by the watchmen.

While most residential high-rises employ watchmen to man the entire building, they are often never found seated in the main corridor. The buildings that do have a special slot to station a watchman are often found vacant.

“We have one watchman for our building, and we never really see him for days,” highlights Nitya, resident of a building in Al Nahda.

“His room is near the building elevator but he is never present at the main entrance. So, people can walk in and out without being questioned or checked. He doesn’t even maintain a log sheet about who is entering the building and for what reason.”

A new security system – that relied on the usage of a password and an access card to enter the building – was recently installed in the building.

“Yet, we find salespersons entering the property. It’s not safe.”

The Emirates 24|7 correspondent found out that the watchmen in many of the buildings in Al Nahda also double up as the maintenance guys. “Whether it is the cleaning of the swimming pool or minor fixes in the apartment, he is the go-to man. So, it’s unrealistic to expect him to do everything.”

Priyanka N, a resident of another building in the area, has similar experiences to narrate.

“No one monitors who goes in and out of the building and no one keeps a log of the visitors either,” she adds.

And, many buildings do not even have functional CCTV cameras installed.

When Emirates24|7 inspected a few buildings in the area, no one stopped or questioned them about where they were headed.

The Dubai Police highlights that every residential building must have a watchman manning the building and installation of CCTV cameras for uninterrupted monitoring. Apart from providing security to the residents, it also functions as crucial evidence when a crime occurs.

“The building must have two watchmen, who work in 12-hour shifts, and they should install CCTV cameras in most common areas, and ensure these are in good working condition,” stresses Lt. Mohammed Saeed Al Fishti, Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation for Public Relation and Media in Dubai.

He observes that most new buildings have CCTV cameras installed, but it’s some of the old buildings that don’t have them.

“These cameras must be in working condition,” he emphasizes, recalling an incident where they were investigating a store robbery and the lack of a functional CCTV meant it was tough for the police to identify the criminal.

The officer adds that the building owners must hire services of a good security company because it means they have experts on board.

He elaborates that guards play an important role when a crime happens. “If a criminal has entered a building, the watchman will be able to identify him during a parade.”

Even the camera footage helps substantiate the incident.

The watchman’s observation and CCTV footage are admissible as evidence by the Dubai Public Prosecution.

The Dubai Police, Civil Defence and Dubai Municipality regularly conduct area-wise campaigns, every 3-6 months, to check if these guidelines are in place.

That’s not all, the officer claims that the CCTV footage also helps fire experts during investigations related to a fire outbreak, and even in capturing criminals in any possible harassment cases.

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