Community policing takes root in Azerbaijan
In recent years, the OSCE Office in Baku and the Strategic Police Matters Unit (SPMU) have been helping Azerbaijan make this change in the framework of the Police Assistance Programme.
The Police Assistance Programme
"Police provide the key interface between government and society," says Ambassador Maurizio Pavesi, Head of the OSCE Office in Baku. "We hope that in collaboration with the OSCE and with the continued support of the Government, our programme will equip the police service with the tools needed to transform it into a modern service provider."
The OSCE has been working with a handful of OSCE states, such as Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, to introduce community policing standards and values. The central goal is to develop relationships between the police services and the communities they serve based on trust and co-operation, improving both police effectiveness and the public's security.
In Azerbaijan, the OSCE carried out a needs assessment in 2002 and 2003 to identify key areas of concern. As a result, the Police School in Baku now has a renovated teaching area and a new roof and heating system. The Office has also provided more than 2,000 books, computers and other equipment for the school's library and has helped introduce a new curriculum based on the principles of community policing.
A website has also been set up to provide public information on police services, individual rights and advice on police-related topics.
Introducing new ideas
An important part of the Police Assistance Programme is a pilot project introducing the community policing concept in Mingechevir, a rural town in north-western Azerbaijan with a population of 120,000.
The project aims to:
- reconfigure police services, including the work of patrol officers, neighbourhood inspectors, traffic police and operational investigators;
- introduce a competitive and transparent system for filling neighbourhood inspector posts;
- modify the system of indicators used to assess police performance, increasing the accuracy of crime reporting;
- improve crime analysis and implement a strategy to inform the public about crime patterns; and
- implement the concept of problem-oriented policing.
On 1 June 2006, police officers Mehmet Erdem of Turkey and Hanz Fritzheimer of Sweden - community policing experts - began work with fellow Mingichevir officers, coaching them daily. They will also be carrying out needs assessments, holding meetings with stakeholders and conducting training workshops.
With the full support of the Azerbaijan Ministry of Internal Affairs, the project is expected to last some 18 months and its results will help the OSCE expand work in the field to other areas of Azerbaijan.
Officer Fritzheimer believes the project will also help the public discover how it can support their local police in ensuring safety for everyone. "Different tools will be introduced to the police and the community to help them work together to reduce crime," he says.
Building mutual trust
The project's launch on 2 July 2006 coincided with the annual Police Day, when the OSCE Office in Baku marked the occasion with balloons and flags for a crowd of inquisitive children and Mingichevir police answered questions and distributed promotional gifts and information leaflets. The project was well received by the public.
Officer Erdem says acting as a service provider to the public, building a partnership with it and winning its trust are prerequisites to successful community policing. "If we establish quality and trustworthy relations, we will improve public safety dramatically."
Looking ahead
In the coming months, OSCE experts will organize regular meetings with the local authorities, police officials, NGOs, media representatives and the general public. Through various events, the project will also focus on improving the police image.
The OSCE Office plans to carry out public opinion polls to help identify the most pressing safety concerns. It will also organize a series of community policing seminars and training courses as well as study tours to Turkey and one European Union country.