Bishkek, 29 September 2016 – The Liberal Youth Alliance “Free Generation” and Civic Union “For Reforms and Result” will host a round table to discuss the results of piloting innovative and new approaches in external assessment of police performance in Sverdlosvkii Rayon of the city of Bishkek and the cities of Uzgen and Talas. The round table will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the “Plaza” Hotel (52, Togolok Moldo Street).
Last year, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic decided to introduce external assessment of police performance. The Government also considered suggestions provided of For Reforms and Result that assessment of police performance should be assessed by the citizens.
As part of the project “External Assessment of Police Performance: Testing New Approaches”, supported by the USAID Collaborative Governance Program; initiative groups were established in the pilot regions that were approved by local governments and municipal keneshes. A survey was conducted that helped to determine the level of trust of police by citizens; how citizens perceive the police in the regions; public opinion about accessibility and the quality of the services provided by the police; and assessed the ability of the police to address problems in their respective territories in accordance with existing requirements.
According to the survey, 40.4% of the respondents learn about police performance through the media and Internet. An important criterion that reflects the level of citizen’s’ awareness of a law enforcement body’s work is their acquaintance with their neighborhood police inspector. More than 62% of the respondents in all pilot territories never visited or asked for assistance from their neighborhood police inspector. Most respondents (85 percent) do not know the head of their local police. The survey revealed a significantly high level of social anxiety with respect to personal security. Citizens from the three pilot territories are especially concerned with these five problems: theft, drug abuse, corruption, disorderly conduct, and radicalism/extremism.
During the round table discussions, the Civic Union “For Reforms and Result” will present the survey findings and a set of recommendations for improving police performance.
The main recommendation is for citizens to work jointly with local self-governments and rayon and city (territorial) police departments in conducting external police assessments in the areas of ensuring public security and crime prevention. This approach will give the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its territorial police departments an opportunity to better understand the needs of citizens and their expectations as it pertains to the rule of law, and to determine how the police are doing in satisfying the needs of its citizens.
The project is supported by the Collaborative Governance Program (CGP), which promotes effective collaboration among civil society, the private sector, and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic. The Program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), and is implemented by East-West Management Institute (EWMI).