Locations
Police station nr.1 from Singerei became more accessible and open to the community, being redesigned according to the community policing principles and best practices. The works were funded by the U.S. Government in the framework of a project “Support to the police reform in Moldova” implemented by UNDP. The total value of the assistance offered is approx..185 thousand USD.
Today, 16 October 2018 on its reopening, the police station organized an open house event offering all visitors (citizens, children from nearby schools, journalists, representatives of civil society, private sector) the possibility to see from the inside the renewed police station and meet the 16 police officers working in this station.
The community policing concept implies a partnership between the police and the community to solve public order problems, while police activity is oriented towards the needs of the community and bringing closer to citizens.
“Only by involvement we can bring closer police and communities. The police station is at the core of this process, by demonstrating transparency, listening to citizens and collaborating with community, civil society and local public authorities. Our priority is to have such friendly stations all over the country,” noted Alexandru Pînzari, chief of the national police.
The station with a surface of 335 m2 has been refurbished based on the model of the police station nr. 3 from Buiucani district of Chisinau, opened one year ago with the support of the U.S. Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Moldova.
One of the offices within the police station is designated for various community activities such as meetings of the local security council, information sessions. This space might host specialized consultations for victims.
“INL has been working closely with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the General Police Inspectorate to implement major police reforms in Moldova, and one of our main priorities is to bring the police closer to the community. This renovated and re-imagined police station will offer a modern and more user-friendly environment in which to strengthen the connection between the police officers and the community they serve,” mentioned Erin Sawyer, Director of the Europe and Asia Office of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the U.S. Department of State.
The new design of the police station creates a friendly atmosphere which fosters the police-community engagement. The use of “universal design” approach made the building more accessible for persons with mobility impairments or elderly people, while the playground arranged nearby enhances the openness of the space.
“The design of the police station in Singerei builds on insights gained through an experiment that was undertaken at a police station in the Buiucani District of Chisinau, where design thinking, and user safari approaches were used to engage with a wide variety of users and to reflect their specific needs and requirements in the design. The result is a space that is accessible, transparent, and user-friendly,” said Stefan Liller, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Moldova.
The police from the Republic of Moldova has a collaboration of over ten years with the U.S. Embassy in Moldova and UNDP. During this period, many activities were implemented, aiming at strengthening the institutional and professional capacities of police officers to ensure the safety of every man and woman from Moldova and increase the level of trust in police.
