By CGTN's fmlemwa

The world's first robot police officer officially joined the Dubai police force in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, reports Arabian Business.

People will be able to report crimes to the multilingual police robot using a touchscreen on its chest, and also to pay traffic fines and submit paperwork.

“Our first RoboCop can understand and speak (in phrases) in Arabic and English, and will support Dubai Police through patrolling and monitoring shopping malls, public streets, traffic crossings and sightseeing spots across the city,” Dubai Police Brigadier Khalid Al-Razooqi, Director General of Smart Services, said Sunday at the annual Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC).

The 1.9 meter tall RoboCop, wearing the typical dark green cap with the golden insignia of Dubai Police, will also control prisons and borders. It is also equipped with a highly-sensitive camera.

VCG Photo

“RoboCop can recognize people through face recognition software, and transmit and receive messages to and from Dubai Police’s unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones,” said Al-Razooqi.

The friendly robot, which can salute and shake hands, will not be armed. Most police officers in Dubai are not armed since the city is considered very safe, explained Al-Razooqi.

Dubai Police unveiled the prototype at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition last year and have big expansion plans for the future.

“By 2030, we are keen to make robots around 25 percent of the total police force and have the first smart police station which won’t require human employees,” Dubai Police Brigadier Abdullah Bin Sultan told Gulf News.

Al-Razooqi said the robot was made in Spain, “But we do not say which firm produced [it]. The software is a Dubai Police in-house-production. RoboCop was the result of intensive research in the field of artificial intelligence,” he told Xinhua news agency.