Newsroom
OSCE Mission to Skopje supports police training on public relations
SKOPJE 16 March 2007
SKOPJE, 16 March 2007 - Sixteen police officers from all over the country completed today an OSCE-supported training course on media and public relations.
The two-week course focused on developing co-operation with the public and promoting a positive image of the police force in order to achieve wider support and understanding. It was part of the ongoing decentralization process, under which regional police offices will play an important role in communicating with citizens and journalists.
"At the heart of this training was OSCE's commitment to support the Interior Ministry's progress towards a modern police service," said Philip Tolson, the Head of the OSCE Mission's Police Development Unit.
"Police officers benefited from practical exercises and panel discussions with local journalists."
Gordana Jankulovska, of the Interior Ministry, added: "The course is based on the idea that police must be open, ethical and trustworthy. This requires operational transparency and a professional working relationship with the media and public."
The training course, conducted by local trainers with additional input from American and Slovenian experts, was supported by the Embassies of the United Kingdom and United States and delivered by the Interior Ministry's partners, including the Defence Ministry's Regional Training Centre for Communications and the non-governmental organization Macedonian Institute for Media.
The two-week course focused on developing co-operation with the public and promoting a positive image of the police force in order to achieve wider support and understanding. It was part of the ongoing decentralization process, under which regional police offices will play an important role in communicating with citizens and journalists.
"At the heart of this training was OSCE's commitment to support the Interior Ministry's progress towards a modern police service," said Philip Tolson, the Head of the OSCE Mission's Police Development Unit.
"Police officers benefited from practical exercises and panel discussions with local journalists."
Gordana Jankulovska, of the Interior Ministry, added: "The course is based on the idea that police must be open, ethical and trustworthy. This requires operational transparency and a professional working relationship with the media and public."
The training course, conducted by local trainers with additional input from American and Slovenian experts, was supported by the Embassies of the United Kingdom and United States and delivered by the Interior Ministry's partners, including the Defence Ministry's Regional Training Centre for Communications and the non-governmental organization Macedonian Institute for Media.