Training organized by OSCE Mission helps citizens work to get better police services
SKOPJE, 30 November 2006 - Citizens' Advisory Groups now are better equipped to work to get better police services at the municipal level, thanks to skills gained in a series of OSCE-organized capacity-building workshops ending today in Skopje.
All training sessions promoted citizen participation in local decision-making as well as communication and co-operation with police.
"Workshop participants were trained on local self-governance, partnership building, problem solving and project proposal writing. This enabled the advisory groups to ensure better police services at the municipal level," said Philip Tolson, the Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje's Police Development Unit.
Skopje Mayor Trifun Kosotovski added: "I am happy to see that our citizens have a different picture of the police today. Thanks to the OSCE efforts, the community policing concept has penetrated into our society and improved the previous image of people in uniforms. Today, the police are a part of the community to whom they serve."
Similar workshops were held in Prilep, Veles, Gevgelija, Kocani and Bitola, where representatvies from the Interior Ministry, the OSCE Mission, the advisory groups, mayors, as well as from local police and local municipalities took part.
The Citizens' Advisory Groups were created with the help of the OSCE Mission to support the community policing concept.