Representative of the Police Reform National Team of the OSCE OiT made a presentation during the training for journalists
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- Published on 23 April 2013
The training for journalists “Journalistic Investigation in the field of Criminal Justice” is taking place in the hotel “Mercury” from 22 to 27 April.
The training was organized by the Independent School of Journalism “Tajikistan– XXI century.” About 20 journalists from all regions ofTajikistantake part in the training. It is conducted by Marina Maksimova fromAlmaaty,Kazakhstan.
The Police Reform National Liaison Officer of the OSCE Office inTajikistanMr. Khaydar Mahmadiev made a presentation on the “Main Directions of the Police Reform Strategy inTajikistan” during the training. In his presentation he focused in detail on such direction of the reform, as activation of community policing.
He has noted that the OSCE provides assistance to develop the community policing across its region as a key component of policing by reinforcing connection and cooperation between police, other state agencies and community. Therein, the Strategic Police Matters Unit (SPMU) of the OSCE Secretariat in close cooperation and coordination of efforts of the OSCE participating States, with the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Office for Democratic Institutes and Human Rights (ODIHR), OSCE Field Offices, international organizations, NGOs and scientific institutions have developed guidelines “Community Policing best practices.”
According to the recommendations, the basic premise for community policing is an insistent need in raising the level of social engagement in ensuring security and public order, as well as in solving problems of crime in places of residence, since this objective cannot be solved only by the police force.
The police should integrate deeper with the community and reinforce its legitimacy by performing police activities based on concerted actions and by improving the quality of services, which are provided to the society, for the purposes of achieving such partnership relations. Thus, the police should:
- be recognized and accessible for community;
- know citizens in the area of responsibility and must be known by them;
- respond to the needs of community;
- listen to citizens’ problems;
- engage and mobilize community;
- report about activities and achieved results;
The key strategies that could be used for implementation of these principles in practice, envisage the following: involvement of community into police activities in the fields; strengthening public connections and informal public control in places of residence for capacity building of local inhabitants in combating the pressure of social problems and difficulties, which in the future could lead to commitment of crimes and civil unrests; improvement of relations between the police and community; increase the level of trust by community. It is extremely important in interrelations between police and ethnic minorities, which were aggravated by conflicts in the past (civil war of 1992-1997).
The abovementioned recommendations were applied while drafting the National Police Reform Strategy of Tajikistan for the period of 2013-2020, approved by the Decree #1438 of the President of theRepublicofTajikistanon 19 March 2013.
In particular, according to the Strategy as one of the main assessment criteria for police activities in ensuring public safety will serve such indicator as positive change of citizens’ opinion regarding police activities. The main task of the local police should involve ensuring public order, safety of citizens and society, protection of their interests bearing in mind their expectations from police work. The police service should actively communicate with community to identify its opinion for achieving its expectations. The police should protect public order in a way the community in question wishes it.
Meanwhile, the police reform process should be transparent and public. It involves creation of various mechanisms that support an open and public debate throughout the reform period. The format of discussions and decision-making should enable citizens’ direct and indirect involvement in the discussion of the reform progress on its different stages; bringing their wishes and proposals on the subject to the knowledge of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, and controlling the record of public requests related to police reform.
The principle of public participation in police activity involves creation of transparent police for citizens, development of mechanisms, and ensuring public participation both in assignment of tasks for police and in their performance evaluation. The police should be as transparent as possible to the public, since willingness to disclose information about police activities, except confidential information, is crucial for securing public confidence.
Thereto, Public Councils for civil society assistance to the police reform will be created under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Regional Police Administrations.
Therefore, the OSCE OiT has initiated an operational meeting “Police Reform Civil Society Advisory Group,” with its Provision approved on 13 July 2012 during the regular Police Reform Steering Group Meeting. The same groups were established in Khujand, Kulyab, Kurgan-Tyube, Khorog andRasht. The Civil Society Advisory Group members took an active part in the process of developing Police Reform Strategy, other materials and documents related to community policing, as well as monitoring of civil society over police activities was organized from 12 to 24 February 2013.
The OSCE OiT plans to assist the created Councils, and to organize jointly with the MIA a Republican round table “Civil Society Assistance to Police Reform,” where the Concept of community policing will be approved. This kind of interaction does not deem public control over police work only, but also formation of an active civil position in the society to assist internal affairs agencies in resolving crimes and offences.
