OSCE Centre in Bishkek fosters local police dialogue with young people to tackle juvenile delinquency
BISHKEK, 7 September 2010 - The OSCE Centre in Bishkek, in co-operation with the Juvenile Affairs Unit of the Interior Ministry's Main Public Safety Department, started the new school year today with an information campaign at a school in Lebedinovka village in the northern Chui province.
The initiative, titled "Kyrgyz police with you and for you!", is part of an OSCE Centre community policing project that aims to teach children about road safety, the perils of school bullying and other issues. They will receive "police advice" leaflets, printed in Kyrgyz and Russian languages by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Juvenile Affairs Unit, with the contacts of their local police officers.
"The OSCE Centre, as part of its support for the national community policing programme, places special emphasis on young people and encouraging them to play a constructive and law-abiding role in their society," said Tarmo Viikmaa, the Community Policing Adviser at the OSCE Police Reform Programme for Kyrgyzstan. "As part of this effort, the OSCE supports the police in offering advice at the start of the school year on safety, behaviour towards others, self-defence and on how to seek help if in trouble."
The Chief of the Juvenile Affairs Unit of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Interior, Murat Munduzbaev, said: "Building trust between the police and children is the main priority for juvenile affairs inspectors. This dialogue between police and young people is especially important in addressing juvenile delinquency."
Similar activities will be conducted in all regions of the country.