OSCE Mission to Skopje shares police reform experience with Armenian police

SKOPJE, 13 June 2007 - Police reform and community policing was the focus during an OSCE-supported three-day study visit to Skopje by a group of high-ranking Armenian police officers that concluded today.

The study visit was supported by the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the OSCE Office in Yerevan, in co-operation with the Interior Ministries of both countries.

"Community policing can help all communities, because it creates friendly relations between police officers and the people they serve," said Pierre Chassagne, Acting Head of the Police Development Unit in the OSCE Mission to Skopje. "We hope that the success in this country can be replicated in other countries."

The delegation lead by Colonel Artashes Andreasyan, Head of the Armenian Police Training Centre, met high-level officials from the Interior Ministry in Skopje and OSCE Mission representatives.

They also attended a meeting of a Citizens Advisory Group, a partnership between police, municipality and citizens, and visited a recently opened police office in the ethnic-Roma Skopje municipality of Suto Orizari.

The community policing concept was first introduced in the country in 2002 by the Interior Ministry and the OSCE Mission to Skopje to increase the confidence of citizens in the police and help make police work more efficient.

"For many years, the OSCE Mission to Skopje has supported our Ministry's efforts to strengthen community policing. We are proud that the successes of our national police reforms are seen as a model not only in the Balkans but also in the Caucasus," said Slave Vitanov, a Senior Police Adviser in the Interior Ministry.

Colonel Andreasyan added: "This study tour was useful as we saw the practical results of community policing. Once back in Armenia, we will share our knowledge with our colleagues. Exchanges like this are beneficial as we often have common problems and are looking for common solutions."