OSCE Office organizes police open days in Armenia

VANADZOR, Armenia, 25 November 2011 – The first in a series of police open days to enhance trust between the police and the public will be held tomorrow in Vanadzor, a northern city in Lori province of Armenia.

Organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan together with the Armenian Police and the National Centre for Legal Research non-governmental organization, the open days are mainly aimed at young people, giving them an opportunity to better understand police work

Lilian Salaru, the Politico-Military Officer of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, said: “Police open days are intended to be an ice-breaker in the relations between the police and the young Armenian citizens. The event is part of the continued efforts of our Office to support the development of democratic policing in Armenia and is the first such event to be held in the Armenian provinces.”

Throughout the day, some 30 high school students will visit Vanadzor police department to learn about the day-to-day activities of the police and to discuss with police officers the challenges of their work, raising issues of concern with regard to the local security situation. They will also have an opportunity to try on police equipment and sit in patrol cars.

A number of experts will deliver presentations on various topics, including drug addiction, trafficking in human beings, corruption and the community policing model. Specially designed brochures to highlight these topics, as well as promotional items, will be widely distributed.

Assisting the police to organize open days is part of an ongoing multi-year OSCE project to introduce community based policing in Armenia.