4.9 Office in Yerevan Human Rights and Police Accountability On 19 July, the Office, in co-operation with the police and DCAF, organized an information session on human rights in POM at the Police Educational Complex. The audience included 13 second-year cadets from the Police College and 12 first-year cadets from the Police Academy, who learned about core principles and examples of best practices in balancing competing rights. On 20 July, the Office organized a meeting between DCAF policing experts and the head and deputy head of the police’s Legal Department. The meeting was organized in response to a request by the police for support in obtaining international expertise with regard to policing public assemblies. The discussion included best practices for police action during passive but unauthorized protests, policing techniques for moving sit-in protesters and relations with the media. The DCAF experts provided an overview of the operational procedures in use in the United Kingdom, such as accountability requirements, tactical approaches, decisionmaking logs, command structures and media relations. Gender and Ethnic Mainstreaming On 12 and 13 September, the Office supported two roundtable discussions for the police entitled “Democratic Policing: Equal Rights and Opportunities” and conducted by experts from DCAF. The first was tailored for midmanagement police staff, while the second targeted the academic staff from the Police Educational Complex. The roundtables, attended by over 40 people, aimed to increase participants’ awareness of the relevance of ensuring equality in opportunities and obligations for men and women within the police. The discussions also highlighted the importance of balanced gender representation as an integral component of improving police operational effectiveness, as well as covering the achievements and challenges of the police in the area of gender representation. Community Policing, Police-Public Relations and Crime Prevention On 26 February, the Office and the Police Department for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection of Juvenile Rights organized a roundtable to discuss the role of school inspectors in preventing juvenile delinquency. Around 60 school inspectors, heads of police units and high schools, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Science and Education, presented success stories and challenges in the work of school inspectors. Participants developed recommendations to improve co-operation between school inspectors and school administrative staff. 104 On 10, 11, 18, 19 and 25 March, the Office, together with the NGO “National Centre for Legal Researches”, organized a training on community policing for fifteen officers from the Ijevan Police District. These sessions covered administrative law, community policing policy and practice, as well as communication skills. On 14 and 15 April, a total of fifty community policing officers and faculty members from the Ijevan College and High School met in Tavush province to discuss options for joint police-student initiatives. They underscored the importance of educational institutions in building trust in younger generations. On 7, 12, 13 and 15 July, the Office, in co-operation with the NGO “National Centre for Legal Researches”, met with community police officers from Yerevan’s Erebuni District and with community police officers and citizens of Sevan in the Gegharkunik region. The meetings in Yerevan covered a needs assessment, psychological testing and additional information on community policing, while the Sevan meeting was an opportunity for community police officers and local citizens to address issues of concern regarding security. On 12 August, the Office, its civil society implementing partner and community policing officers, organized a social and athletic event for teenagers from families with incomes below the poverty threshold in Sevan, Gegharkunik region. Aimed at strengthening police-public relations, the event was attended by 50 teenagers, their parents, representatives from local self-government bodies and community police officers. On 15 and 16 September, community police officers from the Nor Nork and Avan Police Divisions attended a training event on the concept of community policing and its practical implementation. From 19 to 22 September, a training event was delivered at the Nor Nork Police Division on the administrative functions of community police officers and the legal issues encountered in their work. On 21 October, the Office supported a community outreach event by the Nor Nork district police that included local residents and their children, municipal officials and Police College cadets. The goal was to form a local citizens’ advisory group for community policing. The police, representatives from the municipality, community members and representatives from the Office discussed local securityrelated issues and agreed to hold one to two meetings per month with local stakeholders.