Soft Policing Adoption in Abu Dhabi Police: A Qualitative Approach

The concept of soft policing is researched worldwide, though mainly in Western countries. The concept remains completely novice in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Soft policing involves the participation and communication of the public with the police. Using a qualitative approach, data in this study were collected through 20 interviews, including senior and junior ranking police officers in Abu Dhabi, based on 18 questions. The collected data were analysed using Thematic Analysis as a framework to identify, analyse and report common patterns. Data analysis in this study aims to identify themes emerging from the similarities and differences of opinions between senior and junior police officers. The main issues discussed throughout the interviews are the following: Understanding of soft power, Relationship between soft power and legitimacy, Relationship between soft power, crime prevention and crime reduction, Soft policing initiatives, Soft policing challenges, Soft policing outcomes, Community awareness, and Future of sot policing. The contribution of this research comes from the fact that there are no similar studies not only in the UAE but also across the GCC region.