In a continuing effort to encourage community policing in preventing and detecting crime, UN Police recently held a four-day series of workshops in Yei.

Bringing together a total of 131 community members and Southern Sudan Police Service (SSPS) members, the workshops were organized by Ashok Sharma of the UN Police with the assistance of Yei Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) Chairman Al Fathi Morgani and Yei Police Commissioner Col. Lazzaro Inani Tranquillo.

Heading off the sessions, Mr. Sharma stressed the benefits of community policing in detecting crime, using as an example the classic neighbourhood watch scheme. He also focused on human rights, including the need to heed complaints as well as protect witnesses and victims. "The SSPS cadre was urged to be more humane in their approach, especially with market and trader associations, to gain the confidence of the community,"he said.

Col. Lazzaro pointed to several pressing problems contributing to crime in the area, including alcoholism, weapons carried by many adults and youth, inadequate water supplies, the lack of schools and medical care as well as inter-community rivalries.

The workshops, led by Mr. Sharma and four colleagues from Juba and Yei, encouraged participants to exchange information with police, suggesting that a day be set aside each week for people to meet an officer in the police station and air grievances. The police should also set up four experimental suggestion/complaint boxes in the station for community comments.

UN Police stressed the need to support and care for such vulnerable groups as the elderly, women and children. PCRC efforts should be strengthened by forming small groups and holding community activities, including sports events in schools or with the SSPS. "The continuous engagement in such activities helps in developing mutual trust and a spirit of cooperation between the community and police," said Mr. Sharma.

Addressing the final workshop, PCRC Chairman Morgani said his community faced many challenges at its initial stage of development, noting that women and children in particular were struggling to survive. He requested UN Police and agency assistance in setting up a centre for women and orphans to provide education, nutrition and basic needs as well as a vocational training centre for youth.