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.