Police officers in collaboration with schools and local community has held  legal culture class projects on road safety and a healthy lifestyle for school children within the framework of the PH International Georgia Office program "Community Policing Initiative in Samtskhe-Javakheti".

The aim of the class projects was to raise the awareness of IX, X, XI grade students on legal culture issues and to promote partnerships between police officers, school children, teachers, school and local community through joint initiatives.

Police officers together with students, teachers, and the local community in Samtskhe-Javakheti's 15 partner schools implemented a variety of activities: sport competitions in volleyball, basketball, football, table tennis, tennis; An exhibition of achievements and successes of local athletes; Movie discussion on the topic of road safety, drawing a zebra crossing near the school, information campaign about driving safely. These activities helped students to raise their awareness about the importance of road safety and a healthy lifestyle through direct communication with the police officers and practical projects.

Police officers in collaboration with schools and local community has held  legal culture class projects on road safety and a healthy lifestyle for school children within the framework of the PH International Georgia Office program "Community Policing Initiative in Samtskhe-Javakheti".

The aim of the class projects was to raise the awareness of IX, X, XI grade students on legal culture issues and to promote partnerships between police officers, school children, teachers, school and local community through joint initiatives.

Police officers together with students, teachers, and the local community in Samtskhe-Javakheti's 15 partner schools implemented a variety of activities: sport competitions in volleyball, basketball, football, table tennis, tennis; An exhibition of achievements and successes of local athletes; Movie discussion on the topic of road safety, drawing a zebra crossing near the school, information campaign about driving safely. These activities helped students to raise their awareness about the importance of road safety and a healthy lifestyle through direct communication with the police officers and practical projects.

In partnership with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Central Bosnia Canton (MIA SBK), a Police Youth Academy 2020 was organized on October 25, 2021 at the premisses of the Mixed Secondary School in Donji Vakuf. The participants were 30 students of the second and third year from 6 secondary schools in the towns of Jajce, Donji Vakuf, Uskoplje, Kreševo and Kiseljak in the Central Bosnia Canton where the BLSP was implemented during the fourth program year. They were joined by their PSP Teaching Teams (police officers and teachers). Police Officers from the SBK Police Commissioner's Office introduced participants to the equipment used by the Traffic Police, Public Order Unit and Crime Technicians in their day-to-day work. Afterwards, four police officers from the Uniformed Police Sector gave presentations on Anti-corruption, Rule of Law, Peer Violence and Cyberbullying. Following the presentations, students worked in groups with police officers to prepare their own presentations on the above topics. The resulting discussion focused  The aim of the Police Academy which was to enhance the students’ knowledge on the juvenile crime prevention and trust in the police and inform them how to take part in fight against corruption, cyberbullying and peer violence in their local communities along with the law enforcement agencies has been accomplished.

The conference, organized by PH international Office in BiH, was attended by representatives of INL and BLSP partner institutions from the sector of education and internal affairs from the Republika Srpska and Brčko District BiH. Addresses were delivered by dr. Nedzada Faginović, BLSP Program Director, dr. Predrag Ćeranić, Dean of the Faculty of Security Science of the University of Banja Luka and mr Goran Pisić, Head of Brčko District BiH Police.

Dr Mile Šikman, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law and Head of Administration for Police Training in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republika Srpska presented the results of the baseline assessment with data on students’ attitudes in regard to legal socialization concept, perception of the police, and data on frequency of delinquent behaviour in the Republika Srpska and Brčko District. Dr Žana Vručinić and dr Velibor Lalić from the Faculty of Security Science spoke about the relevancy of the juvenile crime prevention program and methods of implementation of the BLSP curriculum.

This start-up conference marks the official launch of the project presenting the agreements, roles, responsibilities and expected results of Bosnia LSP.

In the framework of PH International program "Community Policing in Samtskhe-Javakheti", police officers from Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda Police Divisions together with teachers organized study visits to police departments for school children.

The school children IX and X grades from the program partner schools enjoyed the possibility to get acquainted with the police work directly in the police building, meeting with the law enforcement officers, asking questions and seeing the work process on the spot. During one of the study visits, the children even wore police uniforms for one day. These study visits were important to raise awareness and interest about the police profession among school children. Approximately 60 students from Akhalkalaki # 1, Khulgumo in Akhalkalaki Municipality and Ninotsminda # 3 public schools participated in the study visit.

Following a public call for proposals for community projects, the BLSP Curriculum Development Team/Advisory Council held a two-day meeting on 27^th and 28^th September 2021 in Neum to review the applications. The call was open to 57 primary and secondary schools from Canton 10, Una-Sana Canton, Posavina Canton, Central Bosnia Canton and West Herzegovina Canton participating in BLSP this year.

Selection criteria for winning projects included active involvement of police, teachers and students in collaborative community efforts, strengthening youth leadership and positive social change in communities, and addressing key rule of law issues in communities.

After careful assessment of project applications, CDA/AC selected 14 project proposals to be awarded mini-grants of $500 each. PH Office in BiH will purchase  supplies worth $500 as specified in the project proposals to be delivered to schools together with a hand-over letter.

This activity will additionally strengthen relationships between police and schools, contribute to positive change in local communities and also leave a permanent mark of the LSP activities.

In partnership with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the West Herzegovina Canton (MIA WHC), a Police Youth Academy 2020 was organized on 4 June 2021 at the Business Incubator Bijača. The participants were students of the second and third year from Gimnazija Ljubuški, Gimnazija fra Grge Martića and Secondary Vocational School from Posušje in the West Herzegovina Canton where the BLSP was implemented during the fourth program year. Police Officers from the Special Task Force and the Road Safety Unit of the Police Directorate with the MIA WHC introduced the participants to the equipment they use in their day-to-day work. Afterwards, four police officers from the Uniformed Police Sector and Crime Police Sector gave presentations on Anti-corruption, Rule of Law, Peer Violence and Cyberbullying. The students worked in groups with police officers and then gave their own presentations on the above topics. Based on their conclusions, the aim of the Police Academy which was to enhance the students’ knowledge on the juvenile crime prevention and trust in the police and inform them how to take part in fight against corruption, cyberbullying and peer violence in their local communities along with the law enforcement agencies has been accomplished.

On March 26, 2021 a meeting with Ms Nedzada Faginovic, Country Director of PH International Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina was organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH). The occasion was to discuss the integration of the Legal Socialisation and Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency Program (BLSP) into the preventive activities implemented as a part of the Action Plan for Preventing and Combating Terrorism in the FBiH.

On behalf of the FBiH Ministry of Education and Science, the meeting was attended by Ms Nadija Bandic, Assistant Minister for Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Education and a member of an interdepartmental Working Group of the Government of FBIH.

“The interdisciplinary approach and the application of modern teaching methods in educational materials used by the BLSP induce independence, interactivity and critical thinking ability as well as nonviolent action by students, aimed at reducing social inequality and encouraging social inclusion and creating positive attitude towards the police and other public institutions”, she said. 

Source: http://www.fmon.gov.ba/Obavjest/Pregled/627

PH International has held  the closing conference of the 5-year program "Adjara Community Policing Initiative“(ACPI). The program was funded by the US Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

The closing conference was opened by Renee Berrian, Head of the Programs at PH International USA headquarters. She has highlighted PH International's experience in implementing community policing programs in various countries and mentioned ACPI as one of the first pilot programs of this kind in Georgia.  Program participants were greeted and thanked by Rebeca Huntr - the director of INL Georgia office; Mike Turner - Senior Police Advisor of INL Georgia Office,  Ekaterine Machavariani - Director of the International Relations Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia; Konstantine Ananiashvili - Director of the Police Department of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia; Maia Khajishvili - Minister of Education, Culture and Sports of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara.

On February 5-7, 2021 the American Library and Training Center of Ijevan, in cooperation with the "Media Initiatives Center" and the trainers Aren Avetisyan and Lilit Arakelyan, alumni of the Center's "I am the Media" program, organized a vlogging training for a group of young people from Ijevan and nearby villages of Tavush region of Armenia.