OSCE Centre supports public order training for voluntary citizen patrols in Kyrgyzstan
BISHKEK, 13 August 2010 - A series of two-day training courses supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek for 900 volunteers taking part in unarmed citizen patrols in Bishkek and provincial towns in Kyrgyzstan concluded today.
The courses were organized by the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry and the national headquarters for voluntary citizen patrols under the ministry. The citizen patrols learned about police-civil patrol co-operation, crime scene protection, rules and forms for holding negotiations, peaceful communication skills and first aid techniques.
Lilian Darii, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: "Voluntary citizen patrols continue to play an important role in supporting the police to maintain public order and defuse tensions. These training courses help ensure that the actions of these unarmed volunteers, drawing on men and women of all ages from all ethnic and social backgrounds, are professional and lawful."
Shamshybek Mamyrov, the Chief of the Scientific Research Centre of the Interior Ministry, and the Deputy Chief of the national headquarters for voluntary citizen patrols, said: "Professionalizing the work of voluntary citizen patrols and conducting training seminars for them will contribute to their sustainable development and help ensure public safety in the country."
Citizen patrols members who contributed to public order maintenance in Bishkek received letters of acknowledgement from the Interior Ministry and the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.
In addition to supporting the training sessions, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek has provided the citizen patrols with equipment such as first aid kits, flashlights, whistles and safety vests with reflective strips.
The Centre in Bishkek's support for citizen patrols is separate from the OSCE Police Advisory Group that is to be deployed to Kyrgyzstan, following an invitation from Kyrgyzstan's government and decision by the OSCE Permanent Council.