The Adjara Community Policing Initiative (ACPI) fosters closer cooperation in 10 rural communities of the Adjara region, with particular focus on cooperation among religious groups and between the community and local police departments. The core of the program supports building and institutionalizing positive dialogue, consultation, and joint problem solving between local police and rural communities, including religious communities and minorities. The program seeks to overcome existing communication challenges within communities and between communities and the police. Representatives of the community include school students, administration, parents and teachers, representatives of local self-government, sport groups, and religious and community leaders.
ACPI utilizes school and community interventions to lead greater engagement of police with the members of selected communities of Adjara, hence, the two components, legal socialization in schools and building police-community relations, are key program areas of the initiative. Providing police with training and support to incorporate and improve their own personal and professional capacity to accomplish these community policing objectives are key. Activities build from classroom based components (building trust and relationship between students and police) and extend out to community based activities.
ACPI is funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
