OSCE/ODIHR and Estonian Academy of Security Sciences sign agreement to implement ODIHR hate crime training programme
The Estonian Academy of Security Sciences and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) signed an agreement on 13 January 2017 to strengthen the ability of Estonian law enforcement officers across the country to recognize, understand and investigate hate crimes.
“Police officers are often the first point of contact for victims and targeted communities and therefore play a key role in preventing and addressing hate crimes,” said ODIHR Director Michael Georg Link.
“Our Training Against Hate Crimes for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) programme will strengthen their ability to understand and investigate these crimes effectively,” he said. “I commend the leadership of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences for its commitment to addressing intolerance and bias-motivated crime with concrete actions.”
“The Estonian state’s clear aim is to be a safe country for all. Mental and physical violence motivated by hatred is not tolerated in our society,” said Katri Raik, Rector of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences. “We are making more and more efforts to fight against discrimination and intolerance, including hate crimes. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to implement the TAHCLE programme in Estonia for police and others law enforcement officers to strenghten awarness of hate crimes is an excellent example.”
The TAHCLE programme, launched in 2011, provides tailor-made training for law enforcement officers. Eleven OSCE participating States have committed to implement the programme: Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. The city of Valencia, in Spain, and Kosovo are also implementing TAHCLE.