Police-e Mardume: Children Safety & Security Awareness Campaign in Herat Herat, June 2014. Ever since the establishment of Herat Field Office, EUPOL mentors have set a working partnership based on a sincere, transparent and efficient cooperation with Police-e Mardume Unit (PeM) - (Community Policing Unit) within Herat Police Headquarters, led by Colonel Noor Khan Nikzaad, Herat head of Police-e Mardume. Up to the present time, the cooperation process included various activities closely related to community needs, resulting in seminars, roundtables, conferences and projects, all contributing to the creation of a close relationship between the Afghan National Police (ANP) and citizens, based on trust and mutual respect. EUPOL mentors, among some of former colleagues and friends Dale Ruppert, Andrius Rupeikis, Tracy Flumian and those who currently continue to support this activity Marcel Abratkiewicz, Roberto Di Stefano, Emil Oprita, with the direct guidance of senior management Jean Lucas Scimone, Head of Field Office Herat, and Salvatore Butera, Senior Police Mentor, have made and will continue to make sustained efforts to implement the objectives set in EUPOL mandate, contributing to the creation and consolidation of a climate of confidence and trust for the citizens of Afghanistan. Colonel Nikzaad, proved to be over time one of the most constant and reliable partners of EUPOL team, being permanently proactive and innovative, proposing and implementing, with the constant support of EUPOL mentors, viable projects to enhance trust and cooperation between the Afghan National Police and the citizens. The entire serving community activities of PeM team are characterised by professionalism and transparency, convincing and truthful qualities revealed in their Facebook page (https://facebook/HeratPolice?fref=ts ) created from scratch by the members of this valuable team. “Colonel Nikzaad’s total commitment is a key factor in the successful fulfillment of the assumed objectives through projects initiated and developed with the guidance of EUPOL mentors,” says Jean-Lucas Scimone, Head of EUPOL Field Office Herat. In his opinion “leadership and communication abilities developed by Colonel Nikzaad, encouraged and refined by EUPOL mentors through the ongoing mentoring process, provide a bi-directional relationship with those whom he come in contact, thus managing to convey a clear, sincere and convincing message.” Among the successful projects implemented by Herat Police-e Mardume team, with EUPOL material support, should be mentioned: installation of information booths in each Police District within Herat City, PeM mobile information van, delivery of computers, printers, hand held radios and other IT equipment, gas heaters and stationery items for police stations. An essential component of the services provided for the community by the Afghan National Police is represented by 119 emergency call service, part of the PeM. “This service is receiving increased attention from EUPOL, because of its usefulness to citizens in various emergency situations that require the support of the authorities. Most often, children are the ones open to risk factors, so is an absolute priority for ANP, especially PeM Unit, to expose threat hazards and practical ways to avoid them,” says Jean-Lucas. In this context, the “Children safety and security awareness” initiative, a concept planned by Colonel Nikzaad and implemented together with his team and EUPOL support, is an activity that decisively contributed at solving of one of the pressing problems of the local community by significantly reducing the cases with children as victims. EUPOL supports this initiative through the guidance provided by EUPOL mentors, and also contributing with substantial donations consisting of school supplies and other useful items for children, thus being able to ensure to PeM a useful and effective tool to motivate them. In this initiative 27 government schools and colleges are included within Herat City, a total number of approximately 3,000 pupils will benefit from the advice and experience of PeM team. Up to this moment were organised presentations in 10 schools, with children - five of them having benefitted from EUPOL gifts, the rest of the schools are to be visited in the next period. In mid June 2014, Jean–Lucas Scimone, Head of Field Office Herat, accompanied by EUPOL mentors, attended a lecture of the above-mentioned initiative at Hatifi High School in Herat City, in front of approximately 100 students of various ages. He said: “The lecture was received with full enthusiasm by children, Colonel Nikzaad managing to create an interactive dialogue with them. Children have been presented, in the form of DOs and DON`Ts PowerPoint slides, instructions on the issues of risk awareness on explosive devices, electrical devices, traffic safety and fire safety measures. In addition, children have experienced the 119 ANP emergency system by performing a call to the mentioned service and having communicated directly with one of the duty operators.” The school principal, together with Afghan officials present, has highly appreciated entire lecture, noting on this occasion the significant decrease of traffic incidents involving the Hatifi High School students, following a PeM similar presentation during the previous year, and requested EUPOL support to develop similar projects for education of the young generation. At the end of the event, Jean-Lucas Scimone, being invited to address the attendees, said: “EUPOL will continue to offer ANP support and assistance in order to maintain and strengthen the interaction and trust between the police and the Afghan society.” Also present at the event, EUPOL members have offered gifts to the children in the hall and they have thanked them, to school staff and Afghan officials, for warmth and hospitality displayed. Herat Field Office will continue in the future assisting Colonel Nikzaad and his team in identifying project opportunities, as well as support in order to develop the necessary documentation to access development funds provided by international organizations present in Afghanistan. “Among the initiatives proposed during mentoring sessions are distinguished as opportune and feasible, the organising, involving ANP, Ministry of Education and EUPOL, of scholar theme competitions, the building of spaces for other activities such as volleyball, tennis, basketball, soccer and to ensure the supply of specific equipment for laboratories (chemistry, biology, physics, IT, foreign languages), all of them substantially contributing to the education of the younger generation for a prosperous future in Afghanistan,” says Scimone. Due to the visible results and positive impact on the confidence and safety climate which such initiatives have in the Afghan society, EUPOL Field Office Herat will intensify and diversify the support given to ANP, according to the development priorities agreed within the mission mandate.
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 06:31:11 +0000
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