A new approach to policing in Arabkir

Over the past year something has changed on the streets of Arabkir district in Yerevan. In a recent poll 49.1% of those surveyed said that they see police officers on the beat in their district once a week or more, and 46.4% felt that they were treated with respect by the police. Only three years ago, the figures told a different story.

Back in 2008, public confidence in the police was much lower. Less than a third of residents (29.8%) told pollsters that the police treated the public with respect. The bond between the police and the policed was frayed. The new figures indicate a genuine success for the local police force as a result of their commitment to reform, assisted by the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

Working together

The change in perception can be explained by the new approach of the local police service. In 2009, with assistance from the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the Arabkir district played host to a Community Policing pilot scheme. This was an entirely new approach for Armenia designed to improve police-community relationships through the decentralization and empowerment of the police, making them more accountable to the communities they work in.

“The Community Policing approach builds on the strengths of society, helping to solve its problems by forming partnerships,” says John Middleton-Hope, the leading OSCE community policing expert working alongside the Arabkir police department. “The police cannot resolve all the problems in a community, neither do they have all the answers. However, under this model they try to address these problems in co-operation with the local population.”

It is what the Deputy Head of the Arabkir Police Unit, Police Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Avakimyan, describes as “the cornerstone of democratic policing,” with the Citizen’s Advisory Group (CAG) lying at its heart. This group, which meets regularly in the centre of the district, is open to any interested people. From small beginnings the group now boasts a regular attendance of between 30 and 40 citizens ranging from the local priest to schoolteachers, from young mothers to the elderly. It is a forum where the community can meet with the police for an open and frank discussion, ask questions and offer advice on community problems.

Building trust

In addition to participating in the CAG, the police have also made steps to become more approachable and familiar to people within the Arabkir district. Two community-outreach stations have been built right in the heart of the locality. People from the district are encouraged to drop by to seek information or report problems to these stations, manned 24/7 by specially-trained staff.

“It wasn’t easy at first,” Colonel Avakimyan admits. “A lack of trust from the public, resistance within the police force and a lack of know-how made progress difficult. But with the advice and support of the OSCE expert, we developed a strategy which works.” He adds: “We have more work to do. We need to increase the independence of our officers, provide for more education and make some structural changes. We look forward to continuing our work with the OSCE on these issues.”

Furthering democratic policing

These next steps to be taken have been reinforced through an additional protocol to an existing memorandum signed in April 2011 between the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian Police Service. Under the protocol, an ad-hoc working group agreed on a strategic plan including a community policing deployment model, performance reviews for officers, and a supervision mechanism. The plan has been submitted to the Government for approval.

The Community Policing program is only one part of a wider program of police reform in Armenia which the OSCE has supported since 2008. The program works in several directions: the OSCE provided international experts on police education and public order management, conducted regular surveys of public opinion, as has helped to establish a Police Reform Unit and a new Police Educational Complex.

This joint work is an illustration of the firm commitment of the government and the OSCE to further develop democratic policing in the Republic of Armenia.

Written by James McMordie