Recommendations/Brainstorming Ideas
Breakout Group # 1:
Police Reform and Training
- Citizens’ Bill of Rights- In cooperation with civil society, police development and release
of a service mission statement to increase trust. This would include tracking and
communicating about progress made towards achieving goals in the statement.
- Development of civic education programs for the population and the security services, to
include open houses, town halls, and broad-based outreach/public awareness campaigns.
- Establish/enforce a warrant system and develop training for implementation of the new
system.
- We should cancel immunity measures that could lead to impunity for the security
services (related to ongoing procedures).
- Put the human capital at the heart of security sector reform (decent salaries, benefits,
medical care, etc for police personnel)
- Reestablishing the trust of the citizens through outreach to primary school education,
creating a space for police to dialogue with the community, including the media to
discuss crime, organized crime, human rights, and the responsibilities of citizens and
police/security services (e.g., in the context of protests, what are the
duties/responsibilities of police/security services and protesters).
- Write a code of conduct for the police forces either on a national level or civil society
organizations would get together to draft a regional code of conduct.
- Symbolism- Change the cars, colors, logos/symbols, uniforms, and names (e.g., “Police
Services”), and establish the role of an ombudsman, to help change the perception that
this is a new era in which security is the citizens’ right and a civil service.
- Increase the rigor of police selection and training, to encourage professionalism and to
lay the foundation for the best and brightest to compete for a prestigious career in police
work and to be admired/respected.
- Propose High Council of Police or a club/administration.
Shifting from confession based to evidence-based criminal investigation (prove training
for evidence collection, chain of custody, and investigation to include all professions
(police/security, jurists, and prosecutors)).
Establishing Judicial Independence
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Transparency in Budget allocation: We need a budget approved legally, administratively
and politically.
Work to create a learning environment for security sector reform
Separation of Powers: Work towards constitutional inclusion of the separation between
the legislative branch, executive branch, and the judicial branch to ensure a system of
checks and balances to prevent corruption.
Develop a program for transitional justice to address past problems in the security sector
to prevent the recurrence of these problems in the future. ( Ex. open the files and
archives of the MOI (and other security services)
Breakout Group # 2:
Dialogue and Engagements
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Refocus efforts on personal security, the #1 issue for the populations
Need to outline what the police want; what the military wants; and what the people want
through multiple dialogues
Need to discuss SSR as a "whole of society" challenge AND responsibility
Focus on programs that engage "youth" and police in a regular dialogue -- sports
sponsorship, town meetings, etc
Address police perception issue on multiple levels -- very young children, teens, adults
and in a variety of communities -- rural, urban, as well as with diaspora
Establish a closer coordination, collaboration and cooperation between security sectors
with joint plans and programs
Establish a clearing house of lessons learned and better practices within the region
Establish ombudsman/community liaison between police and people
Establish a strategic communication plan to lobby/advocate new reform proposals
Encourage enhanced power sharing within security sectors and among security sectors by
developing a comprehensive reform plan/program
Establish standards for ministers, police, military etc and specific criteria for removal-publicize accountability
Pursue reform at all levels simultaneously; in police units, municipals and capital levels
Update training techniques and standardize training for police; continue these efforts to a
regional effort
Leverage media as one element of effective oversight of police
Establish a system of incentives and motivators for changes in police behavior tied to
pay, promotions and salaries
Provide continual training to police graduated by rank, skill set and promotion potential
Recruit/utilize police in "home" areas who know the community and already have their
trust
Establish protocols for the joint use of police and military when required for internal
security
Provide specific legal police protection when on the job
Establish an "oath of office" that establishes the source of authority for police, pledging
loyalty to the people
Breakout Group # 3:
Recommendations: Changing Institutional Culture
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Introduce community policing programs
o Envision “perfect policeman or policewoman”
o Pilot and expand network of “perfect police stations”
o Incorporate civil-society monitoring of police
- Build a new relationship between civilians and the police
Employ creative media programs that humanize the police
Emphasize other functions of police, more than deterrence.
Protection is a service.
Provide public education regarding roles of the police, as well as rights and
freedoms
Improve the perception of police officers as a highly-regarded individuals and career
choice
o Ensure better and supportive working environment for police
o Attract quality candidates
Transform and Standardize Police Academy Curricula
o Introduce human rights, psychology, social sciences
o Reform teaching methods
o Educate and expose police officers to both theory and practice, so that officers
know what to do under pressure or in the field
Enhance Police Development and Continuous Training
o Programs and seminars for all levels of police
o SSR training materials rooted in the local perspective, using local examples
o Training is responsive to technological advances
o Senior officers share experiences and participate in educating younger generations
Harness Strategic-level Thinking, Research, and Expertise
o Connect with international and think-tank expertise
o Potential Products: brief research to interior ministries, publish, and embed in
police curricula
Provide Clear Guidelines for Police Conduct and Rights
o Review, update, clarify police laws that identify when police officers act in an
official or unofficial capacity
o Increase police and public awareness of the law through pamphlets, manuals,
media, and training
Clarify Role of Police Officers in Investigations
o Explain and codify process by which evidence is collected
o Identify division of labor between those who are investigating
o Investigations are a joint venture by police, investigative judges, and sometimes
the community
o Ensure technical resources are available to conduct proper investigations
Engage in International Training
o Training should be “localized,” and not merely translated, for the community
context
o Online, offline, or hybrid platforms
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Breakout Group # 4:
Police Practices – Organizational
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Assign police officers to units within their local communities to strengthen community ties.
Create a "watchdog" agency to oversee and "police the police". Option: retired police
officers. Option: government officials.
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Create an organization to develop common standards of police behavior and accredit units.
Strengthen internal review offices to investigate complaints against police. The investigation
should be transparent and cases should be referred to judicial authorities if warranted.
Strengthen police professional organizations that look out for the interests of officers
(salaries, etc.')
Ensure police units have the proper equipment for responding to different situations, for
example TASERs for crowd control, to avoid using deadly force.
Police Practices – Training
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Train all levels on important issues such as human rights, use of force, etc.
Carry out periodic medical and psychological examinations of police officers.
Emphasize the importance of communications and how to talk with the public.
Develop clear instructions and procedures to govern police actions and ensure that officers
follow them. Examples are the use of police dogs and high-speed car chases.
Develop and instill a code of ethics.
Educate police personnel to understand that proper, professional, responsible police work that
respects the public and human rights benefits the police.
Linking Principles
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Train all levels on important issues such as human rights, use of force, etc.
Carry out periodic medical and psychological examinations of police officers.
Emphasize the importance of communications and how to talk with the public.
Develop clear instructions and procedures to govern police actions and ensure that officers
follow them. Examples are the use of police dogs and high-speed car chases.
Develop and instill a code of ethics.
Educate police personnel to understand that proper, professional, responsible police work that
respects the public and human rights benefits the police.
In the constitution and fundamental laws, clearly define the relationship between the
judiciary, the executive, and the legislative with emphasis on judicial independence.
Apply term limits to judges.
Promote judges by recommendation of an independent body composed of judicial
professionals elected by their peers.
Assign judges to courts and locations by recommendation of the same body as above.
Increase the separation between the attorney general and the minister of justice.
Increase judicial sector budgets to expand the courts system so people have access to speedy
and efficient justice
Make access to justice in all its forms a central priority
Understand that justice system reform most be holistic, including prosecution service,
defense, court administration, rights for defendants, public defenders, etc.