OSCE-SUPPORTED POLICE OUTREACH STATIONS OPEN IN PILOT COMMUNITY POLICING DISTRICT IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
19.06.2009 18:01

Two community police outreach stations opened today in Yerevan as
part a joint project by the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian
Police to introduce community policing in the pilot Arabkir police
district in Yerevan.

The outreach stations aim to improve relations and trust between police
and the public by increasing police visibility and their capacity
to assist the population in solving local problems. OSCE-trained
community policing officers will be working at the stations.

"The opening of the outreach stations shows the commitment of the
Police and the OSCE to continue to improve police service to the
public. We will take the experience from these stations and apply the
lessons learned to the future expansion of the community policing
model in Armenia," said Carel Hofstra, the Deputy Head of the OSCE
Office in Yerevan.

The head of the Arabkir Police Department, Varazdat Adamyan, added:
"The police should be visible and approachable. Gaining support
from the public and working closely with the community is crucial in
addressing local safety issues. Now it is also up to the public to
actively co-operate with the police and engage with the officers in
the outreach stations to provide information about local problems."

The police staff at the outreach stations20will also work with recently
formed Citizen’s Advisory Groups in the district.

The community policing project is part of the Office’s activities
aimed at promoting democratic policing practices. This work also
includes projects to further improve police education and to improve
police-media relations.