A scheme in which Emiratis and expatriates can be trained to become community police officers was launched on Wednesday.

The We Are All Police initiative will allow hundreds of volunteers to be given training to liaise with the community and assist full-time police officers.

At a launch of the scheme on Wednesday at Adnec, Major General Mohammed Khalfan Al Romaithi, commander-in-chief of Abu Dhabi Police and a member of the Executive Council, said the programme aimed to ensure the security and safety of the society.

With the population growing by an average of more than seven per cent per year, and with about 200 nationalities living here, it was essential to engage all parts of society.

There are currently 34,000 police officers in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

This represented about one police officer for every 81 people.

The scheme will be modelled on a similar one in Tokyo, which has seen a drastic fall in crime rates since it was introduced.

Attending the launch of the scheme were Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and National Security Advisor, and Lt Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.