OSCE Mission to Skopje supports community policing practices to prevent illegal woodcutting
SKOPJE, 10 April 2007 - Students, teachers, police officers, members of the local Citizens Advisory Group (CAG), and municipal authorities planted 150 birch trees in the garden of the Gjergj Kastriot-Skenderbeu primary school in Aracinovo today.
The event was part of a project supported by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje. It was initiated by CAGs from across the country to help prevent illegal woodcutting, which can lead to land degradation and, in some cases, to villagers being evacuated from their homes. The project will help strengthen and improve co-operation between citizens and the police at the local level.
"The active involvement of local police officers in the project is proof of their capability to go beyond their mere law enforcement function and establish a meaningful and co-operative relation with the citizens, especially children, in order to collectively address communal concerns," said Thomas Botterman, Senior Community Police Advisor of the OSCE Mission.
Ibrahim Ajvazi, the director of the primary school, added: "By planting trees we can help promote the sustainable use of natural resources in the area, and contribute to raising environmental awareness among citizens, and youngsters in particular."
In the following weeks, 160 children from the first to the seventh grade of primary school will also visit the local police station to learn about the role of the police within the community.