OSCE Centre supports Chon Kemin rural police station refurbishment

SHABDAN, Kyrgyzstan, 24 June 2011 – Today in the village of Shabdan in northern Kyrgyzstan a newly-refurbished rural police station for Chon Kemin district was opened. The OSCE Centre in Bishkek financed the refurbishment of the station and provided new equipment, including a police vehicle donated last year.

Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, stressed the underlying importance of the event: “Our hope is that this upgraded police station will now provide better facilities for the officers who serve the public. The officers working at this station cover a geographical area of roughly 900 square kilometres and serve just under 9,000 residents,. Supporting public needs and providing better emergency response and communal security by the Police lie at the heart of these improved policing facilities at Chon Kemin”.

Kashkar Djunushaliev, the Deputy Minister of Interior, said: “Today, we are very excited to re-launch this police station. I am convinced that the new facilities and conditions provided to the police of the Chon Kemin area will help to better serve the interests and safety of local people.”

At the ceremony were the Governor of Chuy province, the Head of Chuy province police department, and the Head of Kemin district police department as well as representatives of local authorities, and local people. A series of football games were organised by Chuy province youth workers for pupils of secondary schools across the province.

Support was provided by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek as a part of the Community Policing Project, within the framework of the Centre’s Police Reform Programme.