The Netherlands has recently inaugurated its first smart police station, SPS Utrecht, marking the second global adoption of Dubai Police‘s innovative smart police station concept. This inauguration follows meetings and discussions between Dubai Police and the Dutch police on enhancing cooperation and integration in policing and security, crime prevention, and the exchange of expertise and best practices in policing.
Sharon Dijksma, mayor of Utrecht, and Lieutenant General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, inaugurated the smart station.
SPS Utrecht, which is situated in a vital area of Utrecht Central Station, the heart of the city, will serve many residents, travelers, and commuters from various neighboring cities.
“During my visit to Dubai last year, I saw how innovation can facilitate more officers on the beat. In addition, this new smart police station in the city’s heart will make reporting nuisance or crime even easier. I am proud that we, together with the police, exerted all efforts to bring this concept to Utrecht,” stated Dijksma.
Agreement between Dubai and Dutch police forces
The inauguration of the Netherlands’ first smart police station follows the outstanding success of the Emirati experience with smart police stations. The stations offer security services without human intervention and operate 24 hours a day.
The inauguration of SPS Utrecht follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Dubai Police and the Dutch police. The agreement aims to enhance police cooperation and exchange expertise and smart police stations.
The work on establishing SPS Utrecht began last year with Emirati expertise to provide the best services to the community without any human intervention, 24/7. The model is similar to the smart police stations in Dubai. SPS Utrecht offers several police services, including communication with officers via video call, inquiry services and reporting services. Moreover, SPS Utrecht offers criminal reporting services along with various community and security services.
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Emirati model expands across Europe
Notably, the collaboration between the UAE and the Netherlands on the smart police station came following the establishment of the first smart police station in the Republic of Serbia in 2023.
Jolanda Aalbers, the Netherlands Police’s deputy lead for service provision, affirmed that the inauguration of the smart police station in Utrecht is the result of fruitful cooperation with Dubai Police to exchange knowledge, experiences and expertise.
“We are very happy with this cooperation and the opening of this unique smart police station in the Netherlands. We look forward to our continued cooperation, allowing us to learn from one another in shared professional fields and benefit society in both countries,” she added.
For his part, Al Marri said that the inauguration of SPS Utrecht aligns with the UAE’s strategic directives to strengthen international relations. The UAE also seeks to solidify partnerships with various security entities worldwide. He noted that SPS Utrecht is the second Smart Police Station globally within two years.
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