Strong police-community relations are not simply about building trust. They can make crime prevention more effective by enabling the police to have a better understanding of local concerns and giving communities a meaningful role in addressing them.

Identifying local concerns, finding practical solutions, making the Police more responsive to local needs and strengthening dialogue between the Palestinian Civil Police (PCP) and community councils were at the core of the fourth workshop of this kind held on 14 September in Jerico.

Forty-five participants, PCP officers and representatives of community councils from the Jericho area joined the event, organised in coordination with EUPOL COPPS.

Practical group exercises on monitoring risks, mediation and conflict resolution and awareness raising saw an active engagement at the event.

The workshop gave the attendees an opportunity to better understand each other’s roles and enhance ways forward for working together.

EUPOL COPPS supported the initiative as part of its continued engagement with the PCP to further enhance community policing.