News
EUPOL COPPS Advisors conducted a four day visit to the Hebron Police District,
Advisors from the Police Advisory Section and the Rule of Law Section within EUPOL COPPS recently conducted a four day visit to the Hebron Police District. This visit, authorised by the Chief of Police, gave the Mission the opportunity to spend whole days in a south West Bank District together with the Police Officers in charge of the closest offices to the citizens and obtain first-hand information about their work and perspectives. The Advisers met the District Commander and the Heads of almost all the District`s Offices (Investigation Department, Detention Cells, Criminal Investigation Department, Human Resources, Finance & Procurement, Logistics, Internal Security Department, Media Office, Guards Department, Family and Juvenile Protection Department, Explosives Unit, Operations Department, Traffic Department, Tourism & Antiquities, Environmental Crimes Unit). It was also possible for the FJPD (Family and Juvenile Protection Department) Adviser to visit the “One Stop Shop”, an institutional centre which is due to be inaugurated this month, wherein the relevant are able to take care of vulnerable groups and victims of domestic and gender based violence. During the visit, the CID Criminal Investigation Advisers were granted the opportunity to visit a crime scene with the CID Staff, to follow the work that was done by the investigators, and also to spend time with the investigators from the Criminal Evidence Section, to examine together the working methods, and how they can be improved. During the meetings over the course of the four day visit, EUPOL COPPS Advisers had the pleasure to exchange best practices with the Police Officers, whilst discussing the daily challenges, strengths and weaknesses as well as organizational and logistic needs sharing their own countries` experiences and ideas and putting their expertise at disposal of the PCP counterparts. This fruitful visit will allow the Mission to continue strengthening our partnership with the PCP, ensuring that EUPOL COPPS gives the best advisory services, tailored towards the specific needs of the PCP, helping them to provide the Palestinian population with improved Police services.
EUPOL COPPS PPIO and Community Policing teams conducted a two-day field workshop in Tubas
EUPOL COPPS PPIO and Community Policing teams conducted a two-day Palestinian Civilian Police (PCP) field workshop in Tubas (Northern West Bank). The event - staged jointly with the PCP Media, PR and Community Policing Directorate - aimed at analysing and discussing, with PCP officers from Northern Directorates, best practices in the domains of Police communication and approach to Media, digital imagery techniques, public speaking, as well as Community-Oriented Policing operational issues. 12 PCP officers actively participated in the workshop - hosted by Tubas Municipality - paving the way for a forthcoming replication of the same positive pattern in Southern West Bank in the near future. With Community Policing and Media and PR being two of the main cornerstones of a successful Police force, EUPOL COPPS reiterates its ongoing support to the PCP in both these areas.
بعثة الاتحاد الأوروبي لدعم الشرطة الفلسطينية وسيادة القانون تنظم ورشة عمل حول آفاق التعاون مع منظمات المجتمع المدني
EUPOL COPPS recently organised a workshop on “Prospects of Cooperation with Civil Society Organizations”, the main scope of which was to enhance the transparency and accountability through increasing awareness among citizens about the complaint’s units and their mechanism and procedures, as well as aiming at building the partnership with civil society organizations in Palestinian on mutual activities, exchanging knowledge in various fields, and strengthening the cooperation on service delivery to the citizens. “The partnership with civil society and private sector is one of the most important components for the Palestinian society and such partnership is also a backbone of the governmental reform programme which focuses on delivering high quality services to the citizens”, said Dr. Amjed Ghanem, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers. EUPOL COPPS is a firm supporter of the partnership of the civil society organizations with the government’s departments, which in turn ensures full transparency and accountability in society. Whilst reiterating its support, EUPOL COPPS stands ready and willing to continue assisting and supporting the complaints system in order to provide more protection to the basic human rights which the Palestinian citizens should fully enjoy.
The new EUPOL COPPS Police Advisor for Environmental Crime Investigations met with the Environmental Crime Unit in Ramallah
On 18th May 2023 the new EUPOL COPPS Police Advisor for Environmental Crime Investigations had the pleasure to be introduced by the EUPOL COPPS Head of Police Advisory Section, to her direct counterparts within the PCP, at the Headquarters of the Environmental Crime Unit in Ramallah. The good cooperation between the PCP and the Mission will thus continue seamlessly and the tasks ahead can be tackled in partnership. EUPOL COPPS reiterates its unwavering support to the PCP in the execution of their mandate.
Meet our Advisers
Meet our Planning and Policy Advisor
Seeing a colleague sporting a Turkish uniform in the corridors of an EU CSDP Mission is not an everyday sight. Nevertheless, with Turkey being one of the three Third Contributing Countries to EUPOL COPPS, we are fortunate to have our dear colleague Ozkan in our midst. Always with a ready smile, Ozkan’s friendly approach is never failing. Despite his years of experience, Ozkan’s humility makes him an asset within the Mission, and we are fortunate to call him a colleague and friend. Tell us a little about yourself (nationality, professional background and experience and expertise) My name is Ozkan Baran and I am a National Police Officer from Turkiye. My rank is 2nd Degree Police Chief Superintend or Police Colonel. I have been a member of the Police Advisory Section at EUPOL COPPS since June 2022, where I am the Police Adviser for Planning and Policy. Turkiye is one of the third contributing countries to this Mission, together with Norway and Canada. I have more than 26 years of policing experience, both at the national and international levels. I managed many administrative and judicial responsibilities back in my country. On the international scene, I have been posted within the United Nations Missions in Kosovo and in Haiti and the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, and at the Turkish Embassy in Bangkok/Thailand. I have much experience on combating against human trafficking, drugs, illicit goods and weapons; armed robbery; counterfeit and money laundering and serious/organized/transborder crime investigations as well as planning and capacity building areas. I am currently the only Turkish Police Officer working in the mission area. I am very proud of being here in the Palestinian Territories and assisting the Palestinian Police both in their present responsibilities as well as in preparation for their future. Something that makes me very happy is the warm welcome of both our local counterparts as well as the Palestinian population, which certainly makes my work more pleasant. Explain your portfolio here at EUPOL COPPS Within the Police Advisory Section, I am the Police Adviser for Planning and Policy. Essentially, this means that my role is to assist the Palestinian Police improve the safety and security of the Palestinian population, as well as to support the Palestinian Civil Police reform and development, not least by contributing to the PCP Strategic Plan for the coming years. What are the challenges you face, and how, in your view, may they be overcome? I am very happy to be here and working with very professional Mission Members from EU Countries. Working with different colleagues hailing from varied cultural understanding and different working habits of law enforcement only serves to enrich my experience. The Mission is taking an important role to make the Palestinian Territories more stable and secure and also to improve the Institutions under Palestinian ownership. I am here to support them in assisting in the building of their institutions. Being part of this Mission is a great opportunity and I enjoy all my time working with my international colleagues and Palestinian counterparts, in addition to enjoying the close and warm relationship with the Palestinian citizens during our activities. What do you enjoy most about forming part of EUPOL COPPS, and about working in the Region? I consider myself fortunate not to face many serious challenges during the daily execution of my responsibilities. Of course, being far from home and my family sometimes causes a degree of stress, as expected. However, the plus side is that, these days, long distance communication has definitely made our lives easier. A special thanks goes to my wife for always handling all kinds of challenges back home, in my absence. I would like to end by wishing all the very best to my local counterparts and Palestinian citizens, as well as a safe and secure return back home to all my international colleagues. PPIO: Ozkan, many thanks for taking the time to grant us this interview. Your positive approach and outlook are undoubtedly examples for all of us to follow!
Spotlight on our Translators
Since the inception of EUPOL COPPS in January 2006, interaction between the Mission’s Palestinian counterparts and international advisors who speak different languages and come from different cultures has been a fundamental part of the Mission’s work and a natural consequence of face-to-face communication. In its broad sense, the purpose of interpretation and translation is to facilitate communication, create bridges and aid others to cross linguistic and cultural boundaries. Undoubtedly, communication is central to the work of a translator. Inasmuch as without translators there can be no facilitation of communication, translators are not only a backbone of the Mission, but indispensable to its success. EUPOL COPPS employs a pool of eight qualified and experienced translators that do verbal interpreting, non-verbal translation and cultural communication in a multicultural milieu. Verbal interpreting is generally performed in two modes: consecutive and simultaneous. Consecutive interpreting usually takes place in formal meetings during which interpreters render what is said in the target language, English or Arabic. Simultaneous interpreting is performed in real time during workshops and conferences involving large audiences. Occasionally, Mission translators use background interpreting or chuchotage, which is one-to-one direct interpreting where the interpreter whispers the translation to a very small audience. In the context of the work of the Mission, non-verbal or written translation may include the translation of various texts such as police related documents, legal papers, laws, press releases, action plans, manuals and guidelines. The high level of concentration, accuracy and prompt response underpinning both verbal and non-verbal translation as well as the mental activities involved in the comprehension, deverbalisation and reformulation processes bring to the fore the challenges faces by our translators on a daily basis. In addition to the important role of translators as converters of messages from one language to another, they are of paramount importance to cross-cultural communication. As cultural mediators, EUPOL COPPS translators have both the linguistic and cultural competences to facilitate communication between international advisors and their local Palestinian interlocutors. Their familiarity with the cultures of the source and target languages is instrumental in bridging the cultural gap between international experts and their local counterparts. Lack of knowledge and understanding of other cultures may cause confusion, misunderstanding and sometimes offense during communication, hence missions prudently employ local translators to avoid or minimise potential for misunderstanding. Understanding the customs, manners and social traditions of communities where missions operate will enhance and optimise their work. In the case of EUPOL COPPS, such understanding indicates the respect of international mission members for the Palestinian community and their integration into the reality of Palestine. Indeed the interest of international mission members to learn the local language, Arabic, demonstrates their interest in the Palestinian community and its culture, and reflects cultural sensitivity and good breeding. Nonetheless, the cultural role of translators is not limited to bringing mainstream social cultures closer. Mission translators render effective communication in two other cultural domains, namely the police and the rule of law subcultures. Both policing and law are socio-cultural phenomena linked to the larger mainstream culture of the Palestinian community. Given the seriousness of the work of the police and the justice system, the translators of the Mission undertake assignments knowing full well that if the act of translating or interpreting is not carried out to a satisfactory and professional standard it could have grave and far-reaching consequences. Translation/interpretation is a communicative activity that signifies interchange between cultures. Such interchange takes place through the medium of language and it requires a human agency – or a translator. In the words of the British novelist Anthony Burgess, “Translation is not a matter of words only; it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.” PPIO Comment: The entire Mission is very grateful to have such a dedicated and professional team of translators on board. Your work is an essential part of the EUPOL COPPS engine, and I speak on behalf of all Mission Members in expressing our sincere thanks to you all for making our constant interactions with our local counterparts possible! Thank you!
Meet our Information Led Policing Senior Advisor
Simon Remillard, our Information Led Policing Senior Advisor, has held a number of thoroughly interesting portfolios during a career spanning more than 30 years! In addition to his vast career, Simon is exceptionally knowledgeable about a vast number of issues, including but not limited to languages, cultures, history, geography and political science to name but a few. Always ready with a friendly smile, it is with sincere regret that Simon is approaching his end of Mission shortly. Yet, as we say in Mission life, colleagues may come and go, but true friendships endure… Tell us a little about yourself (nationality, professional background and experience and expertise) My name is Simon Remillard. I am Canadian, 55 years of age, and my studies include 3.5 years of Police College, and both a Bachelors + Masters in Administration. I possess over 30 years of policing including 2 months in Haiti, 1 year in Afghanistan, 1 year in Ukraine, and one year and (almost) three months here at EUPOL COPPS. I hail from Montreal city, which is the second largest city in Canada. I started my career with patrolling, then spent several years in the tactical team (SWAT), followed by investigations in a wide array of areas, including general, crime scene, narcotics, fraud; and I now supervise criminal investigations. I also have a strong focus on linguistic, historical and cultural studies. Other than English and French, in my career for work purposes I have studied the culture, history and language of Haitian Creole, Spanish, Russian and now Arabic. Explain your portfolio here at EUPOL COPPS I work on ILP, Information Led Policing. This is essentially the police activities and behavior of collecting information from all sources and police actions; analyzing emerging, shifting or migratory criminality trends, and recommending to the Strategic level how to better allocate Police resources, to act earlier or better police responses and police services. The objective is to prevent, mitigate or stop such criminality trends. By way of example: Analysis can reveal that when the COVID pandemic struck, and all restaurants and bars closed for months, while there were nor increase, nor decrease of violent crimes, and previously 65% of violent crimes would occur between 11PM and 4 AM; the trend shifted and the bulk of violent crimes occurred between 8 PM and 01 AM. The theory and relation was made between the occurrence of violent crimes, and the opening hours of areas where alcohol was served. By plotting all violent crimes on the map, and where all restaurants/bars are located, it was confirmed that previous violent crime hotspot concentrations were mainly located close to bars. It was also confirmed that the violent crimes regions were migrating from where the bar areas were, to where the AirBnB apartments were concentrated, as they were being used to replace bars for parties. We could thus tell the Strategic level WHERE and WHEN to increase patrolling officers, and that when the National level would allow bars to reopen, to immediately shift patrolling resources from the AirBnB areas to the Bar areas, as we could anticipate the migration of violent crimes back to the hours and areas of where the alcohol sales would occur. What are the challenges you face, and how, in your view, may they be overcome? There are many challenges, but none that cannot be overcome. The first is dissociating Modernisation from Westernisation. The Palestinian Civilian Police, our main counterpart, want to modernise to be more effective, whilst maintaining their unique Palestinian culture and heritage. In the words of Samuel Hungtington, political scientist, Modernising does not mean Westernising. Our modern policing techniques were historically built on Western culture and values. We must recognize what is modernity vs western, and seek to offer modern practices all while recognizing opportunities to respect Palestinian culture. An example is a Central command of policing and emergencies vs regional committees that manage areas/Districts. This latter can be considered a ‘clan’ approach, which can be a challenge to the Central approach. The Palestinian people must navigate these waters and decide what policing model they want, whilst we at EUPOL COPPS stand ready to support. The other challenge is time. (PPIO: we can all relate to this, Simon!) We wish we could assist the PCP in overhauling their practices overnight and give them all the best of what we can offer, but we often forget that neither Europe nor Canada did it overnight. Rome was not built in one day, and nor were any of our police forces. Montreal police has existed for 180 years, and the RCMP for 150 years. In my 30 years of policing, I have seen the evolution of my own police force (for the better), which means that after its initial 150 years of existence, there still was place for both modernization and improvement, and I have no doubt the Montreal police will continue striving to make itself better in the next 30 years to come, and beyond. We need to be patient, and not think that it should take the Palestinians 10 or 20 years. Cultural values, practices and technology will always evolve, and so should the notion of Good Governance in all its efforts. What do you enjoy most about forming part of EUPOL COPPS, and about working in the Region? Firstly, the execution of the mandate of EUPOL COPPS is very important to local and regional peace, and global stability. In all the countries I have visited or worked in, it is common in our culture to be good citizens by helping our neighbours. I see this as an extension of this philosophy. When other regions of the World need help, it is relevant to try and help when we can. Secondly, this region is so rich in Humanities History, it is fascinating to see such ancient traditions and cultures, historical sights side by side with modern technology and global integration. This loops back to the previous comment. What used to be a neighbor has evolved in time. Today, due to globalisation and integration, we are all neighbors, including Canada who is a big EU partner, and who has both Israeli and Palestinian citizens back home. While my individual help might be one grain of sand in the bucket, I am glad to be a partner of both Palestinian people abroad, and Palestinians who now call Canada or Europe home. Simon, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you during your tenure at the Mission, and we sincerely wish you all the best in the next chapters of life. Know that you’ll be very fondly remembered here at EUPOL COPPS.
Meet our Environmental Crime Expert
Undoubtedly one of the most gentle souls in the Mission, this edition’s interview is with our colleague Michael, our Environmental Crime Expert. Despite his wealth of experience and expertise, his humility is exemplary. Whenever one meets Michael, he always has a kind word at the ready, and his qualities make him a most loved member of EUPOL COPPS. Tell us a little about yourself (nationality, professional background and experience and expertise) I hail from Malmö in Sweden and am a trained telecommunications technician and worked as such for 10 years. I joined the Swedish Police Force in 1988 and spent the first 10 years of duty in patrol service, riot police and as a computer instructor. In 1999 I started as a Crime Scene Investigator to deal with major crimes. During my time as a Crime Scene Investigator I was in Thailand on two different occasions working with DVI (Disaster Victim Identification) to identify victims after the Tsunami. The first time as a release officer responsible for the release of identified bodies and the second time as Site Command responsible for the identification work at the site. I am also an expert in performing blood pattern analysis. After 20 year as a Crime Scene Investigator/Coordinator/blood pattern expert I started as an Environmental Crime Investigator in 2019. In special criminal law, there are many different crimes to work with. I mainly investigate environmental crimes and work environment crimes. Explain your portfolio here at EUPOL COPPS I am seconded by Sweden as an Environmental Crime Expert within the Police Advisory Section. This is basically to support the PCP Environmental Crime Unit facing the challenges of the daily work (e.g. lack of equipment, defines roles and responsibilities of the Unit and coordination with Environmental Quality Authority (EQA) and Prosecutors office) but also on a more holistic level (raising awareness about environmental crime to the population) What do you enjoy most about forming part of EUPOL COPPS, and about working in the Region? Working with other internationals and locals in the mission as well as with counterparts. To be able to work in Palestine and living in Jerusalem gives fantastic opportunities to get to know historical and most relevant places of the world. What are the challenges you face, and how, in your view, may they be overcome? Since 2019, EUPOL COPPS supports and advises the PCP Environmental Crimes Unit in developing a suitable organisational structure and relevant policies, procedures and practices to assist the unit in becoming fully functional and capable of investigating environmental crimes. Supporting the PCP in the development of a prioritised comprehensive framework for Environmental Crime Unit, as well as coordination with the Environmental Quality Authority (EQA) and the Prosecutors office is a main activity along with trying to close some of the illegal dumpsites currently found in the West Bank.
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