OSCE Mission to Serbia supports Interior Ministry’s efforts to develop police training system

The last of four workshops aimed at improving the Serbian Interior Ministry’s police training system was held in Belgrade on 5 December 2012. Organized throughout November and early December, the workshops were supported by the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

Bringing together training co-ordinators from 27 police districts, training professionals from the Interior Ministry and training managers from the Police Education Directorate, the workshops provided an opportunity to examine how the Ministry manages its training programmes, as well as the standards that are used in specialized and in-service police training.

According to Roar Larsen, Head of the OSCE Mission’s Law Enforcement Department, the ultimate goal is to help the Interior Ministry build an effective training system for all its employees: “First, citizens expect police officers to perform their duties in a professional and respectful manner, and a well-developed training system is one way to ensure that this happens. In addition, an effective training system is needed to make sure that any type of reform that is carried out is sustainable and can have a long-term impact.”

The results of the workshops will be used as the basis for planning future initiatives aimed at developing a sustainable police training system.