Stories
Working towards community policing in Kyrgyzstan
31 May 2004
Bringing in new ideas
The main goal of the project is to introduce new ideas about contemporary policing. General Ishimov, Rector of the Police Academy hosting the training, emphasized the need for police to learn how to prevent conflicts and to focus on finding peaceful solutions when they arise. Sessions were mainly devoted to human rights and the role of police in a democratic society.
The project also focuses on improving the police image. All trainees had to collect opinions about the police from people in their neighbourhood. The trainees themselves were asked to evaluate their own openness to new policing ideas. A wide-ranging survey on public perception of security issues in the country will soon be conducted.
Police trainer Mehmet Erdem brought with him valuable experience from the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission in Skopje, where the OSCE has carried out a successful three-year police training programme. Police instructors from the Kyrgyz Police Academy and local instructors from the Bishkek Police Department participated in this training.
Working with the media
Positive relations between media and the police are vital in improving public opinion. Trainees visited leading television, radio and newspaper companies - a unique opportunity to strengthen relations and to discuss ways of realizing the programme's goals through the media. Some trainees had the opportunity to discuss policing issues with the public live on Kyrgyz television and radio.
Daniyar Karimov, a journalist from Vechernyi Bishkek newspaper, stressed that the media are eager to help, but reforms are needed. "As journalists, we are ready to support reforms. However, the police officers themselves should be ready to accept changes," he said.
Gaining children's trust
Trainees showed some of their presentations to children and teachers from Bishkek School No. 48. The most popular topics were co-operation with media, human rights and resolving conflicts through peaceful negotiations. Participants agreed that the best presentation stressed the importance of relations between police and children.
"Kids are our future and their positive ideas are the foundation for our society's development," said Police Lieutenant Bekchoro Aliyaskarov. "Children need to be prepared for the future and not be afraid of the police when they need help."
At the end of the presentation, police officers organized a football match with children from the school and handed over a new football to the school's winning team.
Looking to the future
After this first training session, participants were enthusiastic about the project. "This is very important for us," said Mamatsabyr Ensebaev, a senior officer from the Pervomaiskyi Police District in Bishkek. "It would help foster co-operation and understanding between police and civil society if similar courses were held in the future."
Urban Karlsson, the international expert in charge of the project, explained that it will take time for the objectives of the project to be achieved. "If we want to achieve real results, we need to carry out more training events at different levels and in different regions."
"It is the beginning of a small revolution in Kyrgyzstan because the project introduced a new understanding that police work is a public service," said Markus Muller, Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. "Small revolutions can change people's lives."
It is hoped that the idea of community policing will spread throughout Central Asia using the positive example in Kyrgyzstan.
The community policing project is co-financed by the European Union Commission.
The main goal of the project is to introduce new ideas about contemporary policing. General Ishimov, Rector of the Police Academy hosting the training, emphasized the need for police to learn how to prevent conflicts and to focus on finding peaceful solutions when they arise. Sessions were mainly devoted to human rights and the role of police in a democratic society.
The project also focuses on improving the police image. All trainees had to collect opinions about the police from people in their neighbourhood. The trainees themselves were asked to evaluate their own openness to new policing ideas. A wide-ranging survey on public perception of security issues in the country will soon be conducted.
Police trainer Mehmet Erdem brought with him valuable experience from the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission in Skopje, where the OSCE has carried out a successful three-year police training programme. Police instructors from the Kyrgyz Police Academy and local instructors from the Bishkek Police Department participated in this training.
Working with the media
Positive relations between media and the police are vital in improving public opinion. Trainees visited leading television, radio and newspaper companies - a unique opportunity to strengthen relations and to discuss ways of realizing the programme's goals through the media. Some trainees had the opportunity to discuss policing issues with the public live on Kyrgyz television and radio.
Daniyar Karimov, a journalist from Vechernyi Bishkek newspaper, stressed that the media are eager to help, but reforms are needed. "As journalists, we are ready to support reforms. However, the police officers themselves should be ready to accept changes," he said.
Gaining children's trust
Trainees showed some of their presentations to children and teachers from Bishkek School No. 48. The most popular topics were co-operation with media, human rights and resolving conflicts through peaceful negotiations. Participants agreed that the best presentation stressed the importance of relations between police and children.
"Kids are our future and their positive ideas are the foundation for our society's development," said Police Lieutenant Bekchoro Aliyaskarov. "Children need to be prepared for the future and not be afraid of the police when they need help."
At the end of the presentation, police officers organized a football match with children from the school and handed over a new football to the school's winning team.
Looking to the future
After this first training session, participants were enthusiastic about the project. "This is very important for us," said Mamatsabyr Ensebaev, a senior officer from the Pervomaiskyi Police District in Bishkek. "It would help foster co-operation and understanding between police and civil society if similar courses were held in the future."
Urban Karlsson, the international expert in charge of the project, explained that it will take time for the objectives of the project to be achieved. "If we want to achieve real results, we need to carry out more training events at different levels and in different regions."
"It is the beginning of a small revolution in Kyrgyzstan because the project introduced a new understanding that police work is a public service," said Markus Muller, Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. "Small revolutions can change people's lives."
It is hoped that the idea of community policing will spread throughout Central Asia using the positive example in Kyrgyzstan.
The community policing project is co-financed by the European Union Commission.