Inclusion of Roma Women and Men in Security Sector

The project’s key aim is to increase representativeness of Roma in police, in order to strengthen confidence of this population in the Ministry of Interior, to improve Roma community security, as well as to increase level of employment of young Roma women and men.

The project “Inclusion of Roma Women and Men in Security Sector: Towards Greater Enrollment to Basic Police Training” the Public Policy Research Centre conducts as a partner of the Police Officers Association “European Police Officers of Roma Nationality”. The Office for Human and Minority Rights of the Government of the Republic of Serbia supports the project within its program for improving situation of Roma people in Serbia.

According to the previous Centre’s research “Roma Women and Men and Security Sector Reform in the Republic of Serbia” representatives of the Roma community have perceived underrepresentation of their compatriots in the state institutions as one of the most significant problems for this community, especially their underrepresentation in the system of MoI. By establishing cooperation with the Police Officers Association “European Police Officers of Roma Nationality”, which founders and members are active police officers of the Roma nationality, the Centre aspire to  help shifting this negative situation. At the same time, the project contributes to the implementation of recommendations from the Strategy for Improving the Situation of Roma in the Republic of Serbia, likewise measures listed in the Action plan for implementation of the Strategy from 2013 to 2015. 

Previous experiences of the Police Officers Association members, who have already participated in the organization and realization of the OSCE supported campaigns for promoting Roma enrollment to basic police training, reveal great interest of Roma population for employment within the MoI system. On the other hand, insufficient data on the criteria for enrollment, as well as on the structure and demands of the qualification test, have been identified as the major obstacles for achieving greater representativeness of the Roma community at the Centre for Basic Police Training. Therefore, the project will include info sessions for young Roma women and men and one day preparatory trainings in six chosen seats of the police departments – in Novi Sad, Beograd, Bor, Kraljevo, Pirot and Nis. These trainings will provide an opportunity for participants to get all the information on each aspect of the qualification test directly from the lecturers at the Centre for Basic Police Training, who are already involved in the process of selection for the basic police training. The project peculiarly aims to enforce Roma women to apply for the basic police education and to take part in the preparatory trainings.

The Centre’s Team will monitor implementation of this pilot project, and will offer recommendations for improving, adapting, and modifying the preparatory trainings in order to accomplish significant increase of the number of Roma women and men accepted for the education in the Centre for Basic Police Training.

Activities:

First training in the Basic Police Training Centre in Sremska Kamenica March 11 2015.

Press conference March 12, 2015.

Workshop in Bor 23.03.2015.

Workshop in Kraljevo 24.03.2015.

Final press conference NIš 26.03.2015.

Serbian Minister of Interior Affairs supports Centre's project 8.04.2015.

 

For previous Public Policy Centre research on problems of the Roma people in Serbia check:

 

Roma women and men and security sector reform in the Republic of Serbia’

Evaluation of Efficiency of the Local Mechanisms of Social Inclusion of Roma