Muscat: The Royal Oman Police is to celebrate today its annual day, which falls on 5 January every year.
The ROP continues to perform its national duties efficiently and competently, and this was evident in its handling of all developments, such as weather conditions and emergencies, the COVID pandemic, and the use of modern technologies to improve and simplify police services, in addition to achievements in the criminal, traffic and customs fields.
The Royal Oman Police pays great attention to preparing and qualifying its members in line with the nature of the tasks entrusted to them, and in line with the emerging security challenges, through the Sultan Qaboos Academy for Police Sciences, and the training departments and sections of the various divisions of the ROP.
It performs its rehabilitative roles using the latest training and educational programmes, and practical applications that give police personnel the necessary skills to deal with various security issues and events. Keen to provide security coverage and police presence in all locations, the ROP operates through police stations spread throughout the Sultanate, and offers traffic services, passports, residence and civil status through service centres in the wilayats.
This is in addition to the support units for the special task forces that enjoy the highest level of training and efficiency, to help face any emergency, and provide support and support to all formations of the Royal Oman Police, which are equipped with advanced equipment and tactics.
The crime index for the year 2020 reflects the development and modernisation efforts of the police, as it recorded a relative decrease in crimes related to society, including those related theft, online extortion, money laundering, and arson.
The Directorate General of Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances carried out qualitative operations, during which it was able to seize many smuggling and drug trafficking networks.
The efforts made by the Royal Oman Police to confront crime in all its forms, and combat drugs, were reflected in the volume of international cooperation with countries and regional and international organisations.
The system of international cooperation between the Sultanate and other countries has expanded across multiple areas, including ways to deal with security situations and cross-border crimes in light of the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Other areas of cooperation include evaluating police work and exchanging expertise, arresting criminals and fugitives from justice, passing and exchanging information on criminal activity, and working together over rapid response.
The expansion of the type and number of laboratory tests carried out in the criminal laboratory of the Directorate General of Criminal Inquiries and Investigations is one of the features of development and modernisation in the criminal investigation system of the Royal Oman Police, which contributed to raising the rate of discovery of crimes carried out in the country.
Among the other key elements of the Royal Oman Police is the Coast Guard, whose police boats roam the seas under Omani jurisdiction, performing their security and humanitarian responsibilities in cooperation with other military and security authorities.
They also coordinate with other authorities in combating marine pollution, and provide a helping hand to sea-goers through permanent squads set up for this purpose, ready to intervene in cases of drowning and various marine accidents.
Coast Guard Police Headquarters in the Wilayat of Muscat includes a berth supported by standard specifications, an operations building equipped with the latest means of communication, technology and marine navigation, and another building for the Maritime Rescue Department equipped with the latest equipment and supplies.
In addition, modern buildings have been constructed for Coast Guard police stations. Along the coasts of the Sultanate of Oman are other Coast Guard centres in Al-Dara, Khasab, Dibba, Sohar, Al Suwaiq, Al Ashkharah, Taqah, Dhalkut, Sur, Qurayyat, Al Seeb, Saham, and Barka.
The Coast Guard Police Command was provided with a simulator, a device of high importance in the field of navigational training and rehabilitation, as it simulates a virtual and almost real reality for the trainee in operating and manoeuvring boats of all kinds without risk in order to develop skills and build the capabilities of Coast Guard personnel.