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COMMUNITY POLICING IS DEPLOYED IN ARMENIA - INTERVIEW
news.am
July 24, 2012 | 02:10
YEREVAN.- Politico-Military Officer of the OSCE Office in Yerevan
Lilian Salaru spoke about police reform and OSCE programs in Armenia
in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am.
Since when does your Office support the police reform in Armenia?
Close cooperation between the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian
Police started in 2003. Important elements of democratic police such
as community policing, contemporary methods of police education were
tested in the frames of respective pilot projects. These initiatives
practically showed that there was a need for reform in the area of
police activities and in the area of public readiness to accept new,
democratic methods of the police service.
And today, when the police has already embarked the reforms and is in
the critical stage of implementation, the OSCE Office in Yerevan wants
to reiterate its readiness in enhancing and broadening its support
to police reforms focused on establishing trust and co-operation
between the police and population through community based policing,
police education reform, co-operation of the police with media,
local authorities and civil society as well as public order management.
Is it dealt by one programme or different projects are involved? What
has been done?
The OSCE closely cooperates with the Police in the modernization of
police education. At this stage of our joint activities, the new Police
Educational Complex was established, consisting of Police Academy,
Police College and Police Training Center; a new testing system
for applicants to police educational institutions was developed,
independent admission commissions were set up.
Activities aimed at strengthening the links between the police and
population are in progress, particularly in terms of deployment
community policing throughout Yerevan. This year in March the Office
organized a Community Policing Train the Trainers Course. Community
policing training is one of the imperatives of the Armenian Police
today, considering that starting from June 1, 2012 Community Policing
model was deployed throughout Yerevan. With that in view, the Train
of Trainers format was selected, since the course participants,
due to their roles as operational commanders and trainers, are in
the position to cascade the acquired knowledge among their staff and
students. Moreover, the OSCE international expert developed Guidelines
for Police officers Involved in Community Policing. The Guidelines
is an easy-to-use tool for better understanding the complex process
of community policing, supported with practical examples. Most
importantly, the guidelines follow Armenia's Charter on Community
Policing and take into account the best international practice, while
being written in the context of policing in Armenia. We believe that
the Guidelines are also useful for citizens and other stakeholders
of Armenia.
Another priority area of â~@~Kâ~@~Kcooperation between the OSCE
Office and the police is the democratic methods of public order
management. One of the key results was the development of guidelines
for police officers involved in public order management and a series
of trainings that were delivered by an international police expert
for police officers involved in Public Order Management. The training
program incorporates what the OSCE considers as the most important
challenges within Public Order Management for the Armenian Police in
the immediate future.
Obviously, it also takes into account the needs for the policing of
the upcoming Presidential Election. The training programme identifies
a series of courses set at separate levels across the police service
from strategic decision makers to operational staff.
What kind of activities do you plan in the future?
Despite the success of the first steps, there is still much to do
to prepare police officers who can provide qualified service to the
population. Therefore, the Office will continue to strongly support
the Police Educational Complex, enhance anti-corruption mechanisms,
mainstream gender issues in the educational process and put the
training programmes in line with the best international standards.
We view our assistance in establishing police-public partnership also
as a vehicle to combat corruption, mainstream human rights, raise the
involvement of women in law enforcement, and involve the population
and civil society in monitoring activities. Good relations between
the police and the media are also one of the main indicators of the
development of democratic policing in Armenia, therefore, the Office
will continue to assist police to strengthen the cooperation with media
through organizing round table discussions, strengthening capacities of
the Police Public Relations Department. We will also continue working
with the Public Order Management Department to maximize its efficiency
and to ensure that contemporary approaches in operational POM policing
are proactively developed and introduced across the Police.
The Office jointly with the Police and local NGO will continue to
conduct Police Open Day events which are envisaged to be carried out
throughout all Armenian provinces in 2012. The aim of the event is
to familiarize juveniles from High Schools with the work of the Police.
It is an excellent opportunity for schoolchildren to be acquainted with
their province's police activity and have a better understanding of the
police work. Schoolchildren visit the respective Police Department,
get familiarized with the special means, police vehicles and other
means of protection. Besides, interactive lectures on Police objectives
and main areas of activity, Trafficking in Human Beings, Drug abuse
and Corruption are delivered and relevant brochures distributed to
juveniles. Police Open Days are comprehensively covered on local TV
channels and on "02" Police program.
The OSCE Office in Yerevan will continue to implement a 1.7 million
Euro project on strengthening electoral processes in Armenia financed
by the European Union The general aim of this project is to support
democratic elections in Armenia in line with international standards.
Through implementation of this project, the Office aims to enhance
Police capacities and capabilities in performing election - related
functions.
news.am
July 24, 2012 | 02:10
YEREVAN.- Politico-Military Officer of the OSCE Office in Yerevan
Lilian Salaru spoke about police reform and OSCE programs in Armenia
in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am.
Since when does your Office support the police reform in Armenia?
Close cooperation between the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian
Police started in 2003. Important elements of democratic police such
as community policing, contemporary methods of police education were
tested in the frames of respective pilot projects. These initiatives
practically showed that there was a need for reform in the area of
police activities and in the area of public readiness to accept new,
democratic methods of the police service.
And today, when the police has already embarked the reforms and is in
the critical stage of implementation, the OSCE Office in Yerevan wants
to reiterate its readiness in enhancing and broadening its support
to police reforms focused on establishing trust and co-operation
between the police and population through community based policing,
police education reform, co-operation of the police with media,
local authorities and civil society as well as public order management.
Is it dealt by one programme or different projects are involved? What
has been done?
The OSCE closely cooperates with the Police in the modernization of
police education. At this stage of our joint activities, the new Police
Educational Complex was established, consisting of Police Academy,
Police College and Police Training Center; a new testing system
for applicants to police educational institutions was developed,
independent admission commissions were set up.
Activities aimed at strengthening the links between the police and
population are in progress, particularly in terms of deployment
community policing throughout Yerevan. This year in March the Office
organized a Community Policing Train the Trainers Course. Community
policing training is one of the imperatives of the Armenian Police
today, considering that starting from June 1, 2012 Community Policing
model was deployed throughout Yerevan. With that in view, the Train
of Trainers format was selected, since the course participants,
due to their roles as operational commanders and trainers, are in
the position to cascade the acquired knowledge among their staff and
students. Moreover, the OSCE international expert developed Guidelines
for Police officers Involved in Community Policing. The Guidelines
is an easy-to-use tool for better understanding the complex process
of community policing, supported with practical examples. Most
importantly, the guidelines follow Armenia's Charter on Community
Policing and take into account the best international practice, while
being written in the context of policing in Armenia. We believe that
the Guidelines are also useful for citizens and other stakeholders
of Armenia.
Another priority area of â~@~Kâ~@~Kcooperation between the OSCE
Office and the police is the democratic methods of public order
management. One of the key results was the development of guidelines
for police officers involved in public order management and a series
of trainings that were delivered by an international police expert
for police officers involved in Public Order Management. The training
program incorporates what the OSCE considers as the most important
challenges within Public Order Management for the Armenian Police in
the immediate future.
Obviously, it also takes into account the needs for the policing of
the upcoming Presidential Election. The training programme identifies
a series of courses set at separate levels across the police service
from strategic decision makers to operational staff.
What kind of activities do you plan in the future?
Despite the success of the first steps, there is still much to do
to prepare police officers who can provide qualified service to the
population. Therefore, the Office will continue to strongly support
the Police Educational Complex, enhance anti-corruption mechanisms,
mainstream gender issues in the educational process and put the
training programmes in line with the best international standards.
We view our assistance in establishing police-public partnership also
as a vehicle to combat corruption, mainstream human rights, raise the
involvement of women in law enforcement, and involve the population
and civil society in monitoring activities. Good relations between
the police and the media are also one of the main indicators of the
development of democratic policing in Armenia, therefore, the Office
will continue to assist police to strengthen the cooperation with media
through organizing round table discussions, strengthening capacities of
the Police Public Relations Department. We will also continue working
with the Public Order Management Department to maximize its efficiency
and to ensure that contemporary approaches in operational POM policing
are proactively developed and introduced across the Police.
The Office jointly with the Police and local NGO will continue to
conduct Police Open Day events which are envisaged to be carried out
throughout all Armenian provinces in 2012. The aim of the event is
to familiarize juveniles from High Schools with the work of the Police.
It is an excellent opportunity for schoolchildren to be acquainted with
their province's police activity and have a better understanding of the
police work. Schoolchildren visit the respective Police Department,
get familiarized with the special means, police vehicles and other
means of protection. Besides, interactive lectures on Police objectives
and main areas of activity, Trafficking in Human Beings, Drug abuse
and Corruption are delivered and relevant brochures distributed to
juveniles. Police Open Days are comprehensively covered on local TV
channels and on "02" Police program.
The OSCE Office in Yerevan will continue to implement a 1.7 million
Euro project on strengthening electoral processes in Armenia financed
by the European Union The general aim of this project is to support
democratic elections in Armenia in line with international standards.
Through implementation of this project, the Office aims to enhance
Police capacities and capabilities in performing election - related
functions.