OSCE Office, Armenian police deepen co-operation
YEREVAN, 27 November 2008 - The OSCE Office and the Armenian police signed a co-operation agreement today to elaborate a community policing model for Armenia, improve the police education system and assess public order management preparedness.
The agreement foresees setting up a joint working group to develop a community policing model for Armenia, drawing on a pilot project in the Yerevan Arabkir police district that started in April.
"Creating an atmosphere of trust between the police and the population is the philosophy behind the community policing concept supported by the OSCE. Working together they can prevent and solve crime much more efficiently," said Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
Another working group will be established to offer recommendations for reforming the police education system, and the agreement also envisages work with the police to improve the capacity of public order units.
The OSCE Office in Yerevan has carried out activities under its Police Assistance Programme in Armenia since 2005, including the renovation of a police training centre for non-commissioned officers that was completed in March 2007.