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AMMAN — British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden handed over new radio communication equipment, worth 380,000 pounds (around JD383,522), to the Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate earlier this week. 

The donation "is the latest step in the UK government’s efforts to support Jordan’s resilience in the face of the Syria crisis, by helping provide security for Syrian refugees" according to a British embassy statement released Wednesday.

Since 2013, the British embassy's policing support team has been helping the directorate set up and expand its community policing initiative at the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps. 

The team’s support has included constructing three community police stations, commissioning and deploying a custom-built mobile police station, and training community police officers and assistants, the statement said.

In a survey carried out at Zaatari camp in February 2015, 74 per cent of the respondents said they felt that the introduction of community police had made the camp, some 90km northeast of Amman, a safer place.

The new radio equipment is being supplied by Unitel, a Jordanian telecom company, and will bring radio coverage to 100 per cent in Zaatari and Azraq camps, up from 20 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. 

"This will greatly improve the ability of community police officers and assistants to coordinate their activities and patrol safely. The graduation of a new cohort of British and Dutch funded community police assistants this week will further allow the timely and efficient deployment of police resources," the embassy said.

Between December 2015 and the end of February 2016, community police assistants in Zaatari, which is home to 79,648 refugees according to the UNHCR, responded to 632 individual incidents.

“The UK and Jordan have a vital partnership. An essential element of that partnership is UK support for Jordan’s stability and security in the face of the Syria and other regional crises," the statement quoted Oakden as saying. 

"Since the start of the Syria crisis the UK has provided more than half a billion dollars towards building Jordanian resilience, partnering with Jordan in important fields like this community policing," he added. 

After the London donor conference in February, where $11 billion dollars in aid was pledged to support countries most affected by the Syria crisis, "UK support to Jordan is set to double, reflecting the priority we attach to supporting both Syrian refugees and their generous Jordanian host communities at this critical time,” Oakden noted.

Head of the directorate Brig. Gen. Jehad Ghaleb Matar, said: “The construction of radio communication towers, and the provision of base stations and handheld receivers will allow the Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate to deploy community police to areas according to the greatest need." 

"This will increase the amount of contact our officers have with the communities in Zaatari and Azraq, resulting in more cases being addressed,” the statement quoted him as saying.

AMMAN — The army said Wednesday that Border Guards received 250 Syrian refugees during the previous 24 hours. The troops transferred the refugees to shelters and camps, and Royal Medical Services personnel treated the injured, according to an army statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

AMMAN — The Public Security Department (PSD) on Wednesday announced that First Lieutenant Samer Abu Zaid died of the wounds he received after being shot by "dangerous" wanted suspects around three months ago. The PSD expressed its condolences to the family of Abu Zaid.

AMMAN — Al Hayat Centre for Civil Society Development and the Civil Coalition for Monitoring the Jordanian Parliamentary Elections (Rasid) on Wednesday released the results of a report to evaluate the implementation of the Executive Plan for the National Integrity System, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The results revealed an increase in the number of commitments completely achieved to 13 in the first half of 2015 compared to 11 commitments in the same period in 2014. The two newly achieved commitments are reviewing the organisational structure of the Audit Bureau and developing the codes of conduct for the Upper and Lower Houses.

At a panel discussion attended by government officials and civil society organisations, Al Hayat Centre Director General Amer Bani Amer said the report aims at familiarising the public with the content of the National Integrity System and the parties responsible for implementing it. 

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Wednesday met with President of the Centre for International Relations and Sustainable Development Vuk Jeremic to discuss developments in Syria, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

They discussed implementing the communiqué issued by the International Syria Support Group in Munich and updates related to stopping the violence and allowing the entry of humanitarian aid to Syria. Jeremic, the former foreign minister of Serbia, is visiting the Kingdom to prepare for a project on the repercussions of the Syrian refugee crisis on Jordan and to present recommendations to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on the issue.

AMMAN — Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez on Wednesday said his ministry, in cooperation with the Jordan Tourism Board, is committed to participating annually in the International Tourism Bourse Berlin, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the event, in which 120 countries took part, Fayez said the bourse is an important tourism marketing opportunity for Jordan in Germany to ensure that the Kingdom stays on the international tourism map.

AMMAN — The Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan on Tuesday received Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Prince Khalid Bin Faisal Al Saud for a panel discussion, a centre statement said.

Centre Director Musa Shteiwi presented the topics of the panel discussion, which included the vision of Saudi Arabia on political developments in the region, especially the Saudi-Iranian crisis and its repercussions, as well as the Syrian and Yemeni issues. The ambassador talked about Saudi Arabia’s vision and its relations with Jordan.

AMMAN — Preventive Security Department personnel on Wednesday arrested a suspect for allegedly forging university certificates, driving licences and Syrian ID cards, Ruseifa Police Director Col. Juma Tweijer told the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Agents ambushed the suspect in Hittin Refugee Camp and seized counterfeit documents found in his possession, Tweijer noted. Initial investigation revealed that the suspect is also wanted by several security institutions and he was referred to the relevant authorities, he added.

AMMAN — Lower House First Deputy Speaker Mustafa Amawi on Wednesday discussed bilateral relations with a Danish delegation currently visiting the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Amawi commended Denmark’s support for the Kingdom, especially in regard to the follow up on the outcomes of the London donor conference. The delegates praised Jordan’s humanitarian role in receiving refugees.

AMMAN — Although some MPs have called for increasing the salaries of army and security personnel, social media activists have been criticising the big wage gap between those who do nothing and those who sacrifice their lives.

Following Sunday’s Lower House session, 63 MPs submitted a memorandum to the speaker, requesting an increase to the salaries of army and security personnel.

In the memo, a copy of which was seen by The Jordan Times, signatories cited the sacrifices of soldiers and security personnel and their tremendous efforts in safeguarding the country’s security.

The memo was submitted following Sunday’s session dedicated to discuss the controversial draft civil retirement law which was rejected by His Majesty King Abdullah in 2014 after it was endorsed by the two Houses of Parliament and was supposed to grant lawmakers lifetime pension benefits.

Meanwhile, activists have been gathering support for a campaign they launched on Facebook, seeking to increase the salaries of army and security personnel.

In their campaign, activists decry the high salaries of lawmakers “although they do little” compared with the “modest” salaries of security personnel “who sacrifice their lives” to protect the country.

The campaign has been receiving comments and likes by Facebook users after the Irbid security operation against a terror cell last week, in which one officer, Major Rashed Zyoud, was killed.

Activists also posted pictures of MPs and ministers either fighting or sleeping during Parliament sessions juxtaposed with pictures of security personnel on duty on the border or the streets.

Under one picture, Nadia Daraghmeh wrote: “This is just unfair”.

While for Hanan Sabha, “it is so unfair that those sleeping in their chairs [MPs] are paid higher salaries than soldiers who spend sleepless cold nights on the borders and sacrifice their lives to protect the country.”

Haydar Maaitah called for giving soldiers and security personnel the highest salaries in the Kingdom, citing their “tremendous” efforts in protecting the country.

Wadi Alamin Almomani said the goal of the campaign should be “to increase the salaries of [Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army] and other security personnel and retirees and to reduce the salaries of MPs, senators and ministers.”