Places visited by the National Preventive Mechanism in 2011 Poznań submitted a statement informing that the information provided by juveniles is not acquired during activities related to investigation. Since the issue remains unclear, the Mechanism shall continue to monitor it. Poviat Police Commander in Ostrów Wielkopolski stated that the provision allowing to conduct investigation and gather evidence in the Centre will be deleted from the regulations of the ECC. The Human Rights Defender addressed the Chief Police Commander132 on the issue related to performing operational activities involving juveniles detained in ECCs. In her address, the Defender stressed that ECCs should serve as foster care centres pursuing educational purposes, which cannot be reconciled with investigative work. In their response to the NPM’s recommendations to eliminate such practices, the Commanders in charge of the visited establishments pointed out that operational work in Police centres for children is justified by the need to carry out the tasks imposed by Order No 1619 of the Chief Police Commander of 3 November 2010 on methods and forms of conducting Police activities aimed at preventing demoralization and criminality among juveniles, and on actions benefiting juveniles133. According to the Defender, this tasks remain within the scope of competencies of relevant departments and specialised Police units (e.g. Unit on juveniles and pathology, criminal service) and, consequently, should not be carried out in ECCs. In response to the Defender’s address, the Deputy Chief Police Commander, in his letter of 7 November 2011, pointed to the requirement stipulated in Article 4(6) of the Annex to the Decision No 346 of KGP of 9 August 2004 on police officers service in police children emergency centres134. The requirement consists in the obligation to conduct an introductory interview with a juvenile in order to get to know him/her, and not to obtain detailed information on a crime. Having acquired knowledge on a crime committed by his/ her interlocutor, a police officer is obliged to record this information. In order to clear misunderstandings related to this issue, the Team of National Preventive Mechanism met with representatives of Chief Police Headquarters, It was concluded that permanent contact between the two should be maintained in order to exchange information swiftly, and to develop good cooperation. In result of the meeting, the Defender addressed the General Police Headquarters once more, asking him to take action to amend the internal provisions defining the rules and procedures for collecting, storing, processing and analysing statistical data on detection of crimes and punishable offences committed by juveniles, with a view to minimise the risk of abuses related to the area discussed above. This Defender continues to monitor this issue. Representatives of the NPM were worried by the discoveries made during their visit to the ECC in Bydgoszcz. One of juveniles they interviewed had visible marks of injury (bruises and abrasions). The juvenile informed the visitors that he had been beaten by police officers when he was arrested and then interviewed at the Police Station in Nakło. 132 133 134  RPO-664999-VII-720.8.1/11.  Dz. Urz. KGP.10.11.64.  Dz. Urz. KGP No 16, item 101. 73