In a joint initiative, Middle East University and the Public Security Directorate co-hosted a specialised dialogue session entitled “Community Peace, Cybercrime, and Narcotics Control,” which was targeted towards students enrolled at the university, attended by Prof. Ahmad Al-Louzi, Vice President of the university, Colonel Omar Al-Shamailah, Director of the Central Badia Police, in addition to various Deans, members of the academic and administrative faculties, and a select group of officers from the Public Security Directorate.
The programme of the session was organised in accordance with three principal themes, presented by Captain Ayoub Abu Rabia of the Cybercrime Unit, Captain Ammar Al-Rawajih of the Anti-Narcotics Department, First Lieutenant Ziad Al-Darain of the Preventive Security – Community Peace Centre, and Lieutenant Youssef Al-Daggag of the Criminal Information Department.
Captain Abu Rabia emphasised that the digital sphere is no longer a wholly secure environment, noting that the Kingdom has registered over 24,000 cases related to cyber-extortion and electronic fraud. The speaker placed particular emphasis on the grave risks associated with the improper use of social media applications, with a particular focus on Snapchat, which is mistakenly regarded as a means of safeguarding privacy. He emphasised that legal penalties in this domain can extend to a maximum of three years’ imprisonment and a fine of JOD 20,000.
Captain Ammar Al-Rawajih delivered an address on narcotics control in Jordan, elucidating that traffickers exploit misleading discourse to persuade young individuals that certain substances can enhance focus or activity. However, he also elucidated that such practices can result in the development of gradual addiction and the erosion of behavioural control.
Concurrently, Lieutenant Al-Badareen furnished a concise overview, elucidating the nature, roles, and core mandate of the Community Peace Centre. The centre’s mission is based on two key pillars; firstly, to establish a sound social environment on both intellectual and behavioural levels, and secondly, to reaffirm its commitment to combatting extremist ideology and hate speech while promoting the values of coexistence and moderation.
At the conclusion of the session, an open, interactive discussion was held between the students and the PSD officers, which covered mechanisms for community prevention and secure, confidential methods for reporting cybercrimes.