The European Union Police Services Training(EUPST II) programme together with Strategic Expertise International (SEI), the Scottish Institute for Policing Research(SIPR), Police Scotland and theStabilisation Unit (UK) delivered a five-day course entitled Policing with Communities in Fragile and Conflict Affected States. The course was aimed at serving police officers who are deployed in or have firm intentions to deploy to international policing missions with the European Union, the United Nations, the African Union or other multilateral international organisations.

It took take place at St Leonard’s Hall, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, between Sunday 17th and Friday 22nd January 2016.

The Delegates at the Scottish Police College, with EUPST Observers and Course Directors

COURSE OBJECTIVE

The overall objective of the ‘Policing with Communities Course’ was to increase participant knowledge of the connected issues and build the capabilities, understanding and skills required for effectively policing with different communities. In particular it considered both policing with diverse, minority and vulnerable communities during international missions in fragile and conflict affected states and the need for a variety of contributors to be able to interoperate.

“The course is aimed at serving police
officers who are deployed in or have firm
intentions to deploy to international policing
missions with the European Union, the
United Nations, the African Union or other
multilateral international organisations.”

COURSE CONTENT/CONVENORS AND SPEAKERS

The Course considered practical and theoretical elements from a range of UK and international approaches to and methods of policing diverse communities, as well as drawing on the skills and experiences of course participants.

The Course introduced two specific case studies drawn from recent international missions. These case studies were led by UK personnel with current international experience and consider inter alias; lessons identified; the approaches required to meet differing community needs, including vulnerable and minority communities; challenges/practices in relation to state and non-state approaches to ‘policing’; working within politically corrupt environments and collaboration with other stakeholders (e.g. host governments, international donors, NGO’s and military).

The ‘Policing with Communities’ course conveners and speakers were drawn from academic and operational backgrounds bridging the academic/practitioner divide. They shared their expertise, experiences and lessons whilst providing mentoring support to participants throughout the Course.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the Course the participants had developed a shared understanding of:

• current challenges / good practice and the diversity of approaches around policing with communities particularly within fragile and conflict affected states;
• how ‘policing with communities’ approaches fit within wider policing policies, including anti-terrorism, anti-corruption and organised crime;
• the politics of policing with communities and accountability mechanisms;
• key guiding principles for policing with communities within international police operations/missions;
• curriculum requirements for ‘policing with communities’ training; and
• recognition of the value of multi-disciplinary research in this field.

CONTACTS FOR INFORMATION

Course Director : Maureen Brown (maureenb100@gmail.com)

This Conference was organised by Strategic Expertise International (SEI)

and administered by the Scottish Institute for Policing Research in partnership with:

The venue for this 5-day Conference was St Leonard’s Hall, University of Edinburgh

UK Police engaging communities and problem solving around the world
(Photos : Dean Henson)