SECURITY COUNCILS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES
10.11.2015

Citizens and local communities are best placed to emphasis on priority of security issues and work together with the police and participate in solving them, said Minister of Interior Affairs Nebojsa Stefanovic, at the conference "Local security councils", which brought together representatives of 169 municipalities in Serbia, the Ministry of the Interior affairs, civil society organizations and the international communities. In the work of this meeting also attended the president of Palilula Municipality in Nis, Boban Džunić. The conference was organized by the OSCE Mission in Serbia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities.

There is no economic progress without security

Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Nebojsa Stefanovic, invited the representatives of municipalities and towns, participants of the conference "Local security councils", which was held in Belgrade (10 November) in cooperation with the local police to set up a safety council and said that only by joint action, knowledge and resources, one can successfully oppose security challenges. Stefanovic during at the event, which was organized with the support of the OSCE Mission in Serbia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, pointed out that the police departments and stations will provide all necessary assistance in establishing the Security Council and will actively participate in their work. He pointed out that it is extremely important that citizens have confidence in the police, adding that police must earn that trust through honest, responsible and hard work, that is shown to each person and that the police are there for their citizens and their safety. According to him, local councils for security would be a useful mediator between citizens and police. They will be a place by the representatives of the most important local authorities, who would from another angle, indicate at the biggest security challenges of the community. The Minister said that there is the need to build partnerships between local government and the police. with the aim of finding a solution that would lead to the fact that we have less crime on the streets and the citizens both subjectively and objectively feel just safe, said Stefanovic. The development of police in community, according to the Minister Stefanovic is a project that was started ten years ago. Last year was adopted an Action Plan for the implementation of the Community Policing Strategy.

The Serbian Interior Ministry in cooperation with the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities and the Mission of OSCE has prepared the handbooks for Security Council action in the cities and municipalities that contains the most important guidelines for the functioning of the Council.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and Local Self governement -Kori Udovicki, said that the partnership in the community is important to improve the lives of citizens in Serbia and that the creation of the council of local security was important for USPS addressing and identifying problems faced by members of the local community. Head of OSCE Mission in Serbia Peter Burkhard said that security in the community can not be the responsibility of a single institution, but that it can ensure constant coordination of all factors. Burkhard has extended an invitation to the mayors to use all the powerful resources, primarily the political will, so that security councils will function. According to the President of the SCTM Zoran Perisic, purpose of community policing is to improve the security of citizens, both in terms of statistical data, and in terms of the subjective feeling of the citizens.

Participants of the conference have agreed that should be quickly formed a Local Safety Councils. They are the embodiment of a set of values and can help to improve co-operation with the police and enhance the security of local communities. The sense of security of the citizens is important and this includes health, education and economic security, not just security from crime. Community safety, it was said at this meeting, is not only the responsibility of an institution, but for that are responsible also municipal governments, health care, local businesses, media and emergency services.