Around 20 Palestinian Civil Police (PCP) officers and the same number of community council people held a workshop on 13 and 14 October on Community Policing in the northern West Bank district of Tubas.

The “Society is the Key” event, supported and organised by EUPOL COPPS, explored how police and communities can cooperate more closely. What Community Policing means in daily work and how better cooperation can help address issues that affect local communities were at the centre of discussion.

The two days included presentations, open discussions and practical scenarios. Officers and community representatives shared their views, discuss different situations and get a better sense of each other’s roles. Building trust, improving communication and cooperation, and enabling police to respond more effectively to local community needs was discussed.

Community Council representatives said they would help police better understand the needs and concerns of residents by sharing their feedback and bringing community issues directly to the PCP. Regular communication would help the police tailor their response to local needs, address concerns more effectively and strengthen public trust.

The Tubas workshop is part of EUPOL COPPS support for Community Policing across all PCP districts. Using train-the-trainer approach, PCP participants will take what they learned back to their districts and continue working with local communities.