OSCE Centre organizes study tour to Estonia for neighbourhood watch leaders from Kyrgyzstan
TALLINN, 11 October 2010 - An OSCE-supported visit to Estonia of eight leaders of neighbourhood watch from Bishkek and Karakol started today.
During the five-day visit the participants will go to Tallinn, Keila, Maardu and Rakvele to see how the concept of neighbourhood watch is being applied in practice in Estonia, where it has been functioning for over ten years.
They will meet counterparts from the non-governmental organization (NGO) Estonian Neighbourhood Watch to share experiences in strategic planning and daily work, as well as identify potential areas of co-operation. The delegation will also meet with representatives of the Justice Ministry and the Rescue Service of Estonia.
Tarmo Viikmaa, Community Policing Adviser of the Police Reform Programme at the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: "Learning from the experience of others is the best way to find solutions which can be applied within one's own country. The visitors will see successful examples of the Neighbourhood Watch programme activities in Estonia, and examine possibilities of developing joint projects contributing to improving the neighbourhood watch programme in Kyrgyzstan."
Liudmila Riazanova, the Chairperson of an NGO Neighbourhood Watch in Kyrgyzstan, added: "The roots of our initiative go back to 2007 when first contacts were established with Estonian organizations engaged in crime prevention. Now, after the expansion of the programme in Kyrgyzstan, there are 60 neighbourhood watch districts in Bishkek and Karakol. We regard this visit as an opportunity to strengthen our co-operation with Estonian colleagues and develop a more effective mechanism of interaction between neighbourhood watch sectors, local administrations and the police, in order to create a safe environment and reduce crime."
The OSCE has supported the Neighbourhood Watch programme in Kyrgyzstan for four years. The project aims to promote and ensure safety of people by creating safe living environment in their neighbourhoods through improved co-operation between homeowners, local police and authorities.