Jalal-Abad – On 15 December, Ambassador Sheila Gwaltney will open a newly renovated Local Crime Prevention Center in Suzak ail-okmotu (Jalal-Abad oblast.) The U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs funded the project to establish a Community Policing Forum (a group of community members, local self-governance and police which identify and prioritize community security issues) and to renovate and equip a Local Crime Prevention Centre (LCPC). Saferworld and its local partner Foundation for Tolerance International (FTI) promoted and solicited buy-in for the project from community leaders. As a sign of the importance the town attaches to the project, the local Suzak administration contributed 21% of its own budget to the costs.
Saferworld focuses on community-based approaches to first understand what makes communities feel insecure and then finding appropriate ways of addressing these concerns. Many of the problems local communities struggle with are underage marriages, high unemployment, and at risk-youth. These factors can be linked to domestic violence, early divorces, and an increase in persons attracted by religious radicalism and violent extremism propaganda. Saferworld and FTI cultivate cooperation between communities and police to tackle the issues together.
For more information:
Contact person: Alexey Kruk
Email: akruk@saferworld.org.uk
