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Police experts workshop on Initiatives and good practices in building trust and understanding among the police and Roma, Sinti and Traveller communities

Description

This workshop aimed at facilitating the exchange of experiences and good practices between police practitioners from different participating States about recent initiatives and experiences of police agencies with respect to improving the relations with Roma, Sinti and Traveller communities and tackling racially motivated crimes against Roma, Sinti and Travellers. The findings of the workshop were incorporated in a new SPMU/ODIHR publication.

Summary

The workshop was part of the drafting process of the new OSCE SPMU/ODIHR publication “Police and Roma and Sinti: Good Practices in Building Trust and Understanding”, which aims at identifying and making reference to relevant documents and initiatives on improving the relationship between the Police and Roma, Sinti and Traveller communities in the OSCE area. The book will be designed to assist law enforcement officials and members of civil society in implementing the recommendations on policing as embedded in the OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of the Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area (Maastricht MC Decision 3/03).

Discussions at the workshop focused on five areas of programme planning and implementation, which are essential for developing better relationships and co-operation between the police and Roma, Sinti and Traveller communities.

These are the areas of:

  • Assessment of the relationship between the police and Roma, Sinti and Travellers;
  • Development of Roma-related police legislation, policies, codes of ethics and Standard Operating Procedures;
  • Development of Roma-related human resource management/recruitment issues;
  • Development of Roma-related training; and
  • Development of Police-Public Partnership initiatives /Community Policing initiatives.