EUAM explores ways forward for Community Safety Dialogue in the Lviv region
November 24, 2022
In November, the EU Advisory Mission Ukraine (EUAM) Field Office Lviv visited six out of seven districts of the region to explore approaches to community safety in times of war. Such regular meetings are part of the EUAM Community Safety Dialogue initiative, aimed at enhancing trust between civil society, authorities and law enforcement through a frank exchange of views and cooperation.
During the meetings, EUAM experts engaged with local authorities, civil society organisations and law enforcement representatives on key community safety concerns, promising initiatives (e.g. ‘Territorial Community Police Officer’), and possible integration with Mission’s activities in this field.
“These visits provide an up-to-date picture of how the districts have been dealing with local safety and security challenges as well as how organised and structured the cooperation of the authorities has been since February 2022. In times of crisis, it is important to understand how the authorities are communicating among themselves and with local residents, how they make crucial decisions and whether the dialogue about everyday issues that are not immediately related to war continues in the communities,” noted EUAM Adviser on Community Policing Lars Groenlund.
For example, the Head of Stryi Police Station, Andriy Kotsur, regularly travels to smaller communities of the district to discuss challenges and find solutions for them in cooperation with local law enforcement, authorities, civil society organisations and activists. He believes continuous communication with communities is at the core of police prevention activities and provides for “solid community policing” and greater engagement with the local population.
The EUAM Lviv Field Office will continue to facilitate Community Safety Dialogue activities across western Ukraine in the future.
