OSCE Mission to Serbia supports further education of Serbian local police in preventing violent extremism
A series of four pilot training courses on preventing and identifying Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism (VERLT), for police commanders from the local Uniformed Police and the local Police Sections for Countering Terrorism and Extremism throughout Serbia, took place from March to April 2018 in Novi Sad, Niš, Novi Pazar and Belgrade.
The training course was organized by the OSCE Mission to Serbia in partnership with the Ministry of the Interior of Serbia.
Some 70 participants learned about community policing’s effectiveness in improving the prevention and early identification of issues before they escalate, thereby enhancing safety in local communities.
Seven trainers, who participated in the Mission’s 2017 train-the-trainers courses on VERLT, shared their knowledge and experience on early identification and prevention. The training materials were developed and prepared by the Ministry’s trainers based on advanced models developed within the OSCE area.
“By supporting the development and adoption of Serbia’s National Strategy and Action Plan for the Prevention and Countering of Terrorism for 2017-2021, the OSCE Mission promotes multi-stakeholder co-operation among central authorities, local self-government and civil society, based on the principle of local ownership,” said Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Andrea Orizio.
“The most successful strategy for repressing violent behaviour is to prevent and defuse extremism before it turns into violence,” he added.
In co-operation with the Ministry of the Interior, the OSCE Mission implemented the pilot training courses, which are a part of the project “Supporting the prevention of violent extremism and terrorism in Serbia”, supported by Austria, Italy, the UK and the USA. The OSCE Mission to Serbia stands ready to further support the Ministry of the Interior in conducting new training courses to reach more local police officers.