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The Public Security Department’s decision to make patrol units more effective and visible in various urban locations, especially in residential areas and around shopping centres, is a move in the right direction.

The department director on Sunday instructed police patrol units to keep a closer watch over the security of the public and be prepared to render assistance to people whenever it is needed, thus enhancing “the sense of security and safety for citizens, residents and visitors”, according to the PSD spokesperson.

Part of the move must also be to have police patrols serve as a deterrent to would-be law violators, thus making the streets and neighbourhoods of the country safer.

In times of economic strain, which Jordan, together with most world economies live now, the crime rates, including theft and assault, usually grow.

The influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees into the Kingdom added to this strain, compounding the twin problem of poverty and high unemployment rates.

The country is working hard to improve the state of the economy and decrease unemployment, but this effort requires big investments that are not easily available.

Even under the best conditions it is wise and prudent to have the agencies in charge of citizens’ security vigilant, so doubling that can only be welcome.

One of the main hallmarks of the Kingdom is its safety and security.

Its citizens want to maintain this characteristic, so the PSD policy comes in line with people’s wishes.

That does not mean that all responsibility for the safety and security of the country should rest on the police force only.

We all have a duty to lend support to this endeavour by cooperating with the law-enforcement agencies, especially the police, in every possible way, and ensure that Jordan remains safe and secure for both its citizens and its visitors.