Appendix IV: Reply letter from the Uniformed Police Directorate to Human Rights Watch, dated September 16, 2008The Republic of Serbia 16 September 2008 Belgrade Human Rights Watch Dear Ms. Troszczynska van Genderen, The Office of Police Administration of the Serbian Ministry of Interior has received your fax with questions related to the activities undertaken by the Ministry in the field of community policing and with regard to increased representation of various ethnic communities in the police service. In response to your questions, we would like to outline the activities undertaken by the Ministry of the Interior towards setting high standards of policing and their development across the whole territory of the Republic of Serbia. The police force in the Republic of Serbia undertakes its activities under current legislation with the aim and in such a manner as to provide safety to each individual, protect his or her rights and freedoms, and ensure the rule of law. In this respect, in order to build trust, strengthen security partnerships, and solve security issues, the police force has initiated and sought to promote good relationships with citizens, to ensure efficient cooperation with other state offices and agencies, local communities, non-governmental organizations and other associations of citizens, including minority ethnic communities. As part of the development of policing, the Ministry has implemented and undertaken a series of activities related to fostering communication and building trust between police and communities; setting up and developing mechanisms for crime prevention; and developing partnership models between the police and communities. A range of trainings, seminars, workshops, roundtable discussions and conferences in the field of contemporary policing standards, human rights, community policing, strategic management, analysis and problem-orientated policing have been held. Citizens and community actors are informed of safety and security issues through public discussions and presentations focusing on the safety of students in schools, family violence, youth delinquency, drug-related safety issues and traffic safety. Citizens are informed through brochures, flyers, posters, etc. on a range of safety and security matters. Consultative meetings in local communities are held at all levels. Furthermore, door-to-door activities are also carried out, through which police officers directly communicate with citizens and thus foster their safety and security. Advisory bodies are created at the level of local communities in order to involve all relevant actors in solving safety and security issues. Many local communities have advisory boards and councils for safety and security; traffic safety boards, addiction prevention boards, boards for the prevention of youth delinquency; safety-in-schools boards, etc. By cooperating with both teachers and students and in order to foster the safety of students and schools, police officers focus on crime prevention. The police have developed a problem-orientated methodology that entails identifying and analyzing problems, undertaking appropriate measures focused on individuals, situations and local communities, and evaluating results and processes. From 2001 to 2008, in cooperation with the National Police Directorate of the Kingdom of Sweden, the following projects aimed at developing problem-oriented work have been implemented: JU-NO 1, at the police station Backa Palanka; JU-NO 2, with the police administration in Novi Sad; JU-NO 3 – all police administration offices in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina; and JU-NO 4 in all police administration offices in the territory of the Republic of Serbia. Police work with marginalized groups, minorities and socially vulnerable groups is fostered through better communication and cooperation on increasing the safety and security of members of these groups. For instance, some police officers have been trained in sign language. In addition, significant activities have been undertaken to improve communication with representatives and members of the Roma community as well as encouraging members of this community to apply for vacancies within the police force. Employment procedures are objective and non-discriminatory. When recruitment into the police force is advertised, all ethnic communities are informed. Representatives and members of all minority groups are contacted and informed about vacancy requirements in the languages of these minority groups and are encouraged to apply to work in the police force. For example, when the call for applications for the first class of officers in the Centre for basic police training in Sremska Kamenica was announced, in addition to advertising in the languages of ethnic minorities (Hungarian, Albanian and other languages), members of the Ministry carried out an intensive recruitment campaign in multi-ethnic communities in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, as well as in the south of Serbia so as to encourage ethnic minorities to apply. Such activities resulted in a far more representative ethnic composition of the first class of recruits for basic training. Furthermore, with the aim of ensuring greater representation of Albanians and Roma in the police force, in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, several successful training sessions were held for attendees from these communities, after which they were deployed to police stations in these municipalities. It needs to be emphasized that the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia is committed to practices and strategic guidelines which will ensure efficient and sustainable reform of the police force, improved training of police officers, further professionalization of police activities and the adoption of contemporary policing standards. We would like to use this opportunity to invite the respected international organization Human Rights Watch to offer its support to those activities of the Ministry that are aimed at ensuring greater ethnic and gender representation within the police force, and through such engagement in multi-ethnic areas in the Republic of Serbia, to encourage ethnic minorities, both male and female, to apply to work in the police force. Sincerely yours, [signed] Head of Administration |