OSCE Centre in Bishkek presents children's book about police

BISHKEK, 11 September 2009 - A storybook for children about a day in the life of a Kyrgyz police officer was presented by the OSCE Centre and the Interior Ministry's Juvenile Affairs Unit to staff and youngsters in kindergarten 173 in Bishkek today.

The full-colour illustrated book, written in Kyrgyz and Russian, depicts the ordinary work of a police officer and his interaction with local people, including helping a lost girl find her mother and instructing children about traffic rules. It also contains police advice for children and their parents on security.

"Building trust between the people and the police is a primary goal of the police reform supported by the OSCE Centre," said Lilian Darii, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. "The publication of this children's book will help create a positive image of the police in the eyes of children and their parents. It is also important that police officers espouse the principles of community policing like the police officer in the book."

The book was created as part of the OSCE Centre's Police Reform Programme's community policing initiative. Presentations will also be held in schools in other regions of the country.

Murat Munduzbaev, the head of the Juvenile Affairs Unit, said: "These kind of courtesy visits to kindergartens and primary schools will help teach children to respect the police and foster an openness for dialogue."