Community Policing Course in Herat: Proactive Policing for the People Herat, July 2014. Thirty Police officers have had a two days training in Community Policing (Police-e Mardume) concepts in Herat City. According to the Chief of Police-e Mardume, Colonel Nikzad and his team, the course is in line with the Afghan National Police and EUPOL strategies, to have all police officers trained in Community Policing. The thirty police officers, including two women, were drawn from various units of Herat District. The training, which was an integral part of EUPOL’s comprehensive Project Phoenix, was held at Police District 3 headquarters in Herat. EUPOL mentors coaching the event, highlighted that officers need to have the ability to search for solutions to problems and not merely respond to incidents according to narrowly written procedures. They also gave some tips on how to promote this model locally, and a sample of common strategies that are frequently linked to the community policing philosophy. During the training days the officers covered several topics such as the principles and the role of police in crime prevention and reduction, fighting against domestic violence and service delivery to respond to the 119 emergency telephone number. Furthermore, information was given on the 10 green boxes disseminated in the districts to collect citizens’ comments and suggestions for the police. On the second day some elders from the local community attended the course, when Colonel Nikzad spoke about respecting the rights of crime perpetrators, the elders raised some issues for discussion. They proposed, for example, that “Police should not treat prisoners better than the elderly” and “A criminal shall suffer a just punishment” and “Police law shall be enforced to give more power to the Police.” The lecturer explained that the community has of course the right of self-defence and self-protection but at the same time the community shall have no hatred nor animosity for the felons: it imprisons or punishes the criminal merely for the protection and security of others. It is not for the purpose of taking vengeance upon the criminal, but for the purpose of inflicting the right punishment by which the community will be protected. He also once more emphasised that the police need public support and cooperation to be effective in their maintenance of order role, and they particularly benefit when they have the voluntary support and cooperation of most members of the public, most of the time. Colonel Esrail, Chief of Herat Criminal Investigation Department (CID), gave a short lecture on the mutual benefits and recognised the importance of the relationships between Police-e Mardume and the CID, as well as with the other police departments. He assessed how police are doing at policing for people and stressed the importance of enhancing the attentiveness, reliability, responsiveness, competence, manners and fairness of the officers. The course ended with a small ceremony in which course certificates were handed out to the participants.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 08:50:35 +0000
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