Ukraine launched the next stage of the implementation of the project to train municipalities' police officers to meet wartime challenges.

The participants of the info session organised by the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in the Dnipropetrovsk region together with the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Dnipropetrovsk region discussed how the municipalities of the Dnipropetrovsk region could join the project, as well as the results of the work of the police officers.

“The municipalities of our region have been at the forefront of creating a safe environment for their residents. The purpose of our event is to establish communication between the police and municipalities so that they can exchange opinions on the “Police Officer of a Municipality” project and discuss problems and best practices,” said Olena Tertyshna, Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

There are already 97 police officers working in 46 municipalities with a total population of 900,000. Research shows that the level of public trust in municipalities' police officers is 77%.

“Municipality's police officer is a new level of police reform, a new level of public safety, a new level of interaction with the municipality. It matters to us that municipality provides a police officer with modern premises for a police station, furniture and office equipment. If possible, the municipality should provide official housing,” said Mykola Sidyi, Head of the Community Outreach Unit of the Preventive Activities Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

According to him, the work of municipality police officers is crucial in wartime. From the first days of the full-scale war, they have been involved in evacuating the civilian population, delivering humanitarian aid, checking internally displaced persons, detaining collaborators, dispatching to the sites of shelling by the Russian occupiers, guarding these sites and explaining how to stay safe and avoid injury to the population.

As in peacetime, police officers of municipalities promptly respond to the municipality's needs and involve locals in a common cause. In addition, from now on, police officers will report on their activities to the municipality quarterly at the general meeting of the municipality.

The participants discussed the main tasks of municipalities' police officers and learned how their functions differ from those of a precinct officer.

“The task of the municipality's police officer is to anticipate and prevent crime. Everyone receives appropriate training and preparation. When you work in the community, you know every resident, you know families in need of help, you know teenagers with a lot of energy that needs to be channelled in the right direction,” said Oleh Podterher, Police Officer of the Hrechanі Pody municipality.

According to the Head of the Sloviansk municipality, Halyna Smolska, they still lack their own police officer. And the difference is palpable: when incidents happen, it’s the precinct officer who responds to the calls, while from the experience of colleagues, a police officer is always nearby. They are local and responsible for security in their municipality.

“We would like to participate in the project and plan to work on the creation of a municipality's security centre,” Halyna Smolska said.

Summing up the meeting, Mykola Sidyi emphasised the importance of communication and discussions.

“I heard the perspectives of heads of municipalities and learned about their problems, received feedback on the work of our officers and wrote down suggestions. Our main goal is to make the policeman a part of the municipality. I’m ready for cooperation and meetings,” said the Head of the Community Outreach Unit of the Preventive Activities Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Dnipropetrovsk region.