POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE will for assuming the roles within the applied principle of shared responsibility in community safety. In the south, the problems and gaps identified in the previous period have prevailed, even though the situation has improved slightly with an increase in number of MCSC meetings in total. Between March and July 2015, the Mission conducted a thorough capacity evaluation exercise by visiting all 34 coordinators of the established MCSCs and deploying a survey on their capacity-building needs. The purpose of this survey was to gather information that would assist the Mission in developing capacity-building measures and project activities aimed at strengthening the functionality and effectiveness of MCSCs, prior to rendering an MCSC training component together with the CSCO. The results of the survey show that all established MCSCs require further training, especially in the areas of problem solving, partnership building, annual work plan drafting, and applied community policing methodology. In April, October, and November, the Mission’s Communities Section held four events in Prizren, Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South, Pejë/Peć, and Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North to discuss community security concerns and ways to address them by municipal leadership or MCSCs. The events were attended by municipal representatives, MCSC members, KP officers, civil society and community members. At the events, seven police representatives were present and actively participated by providing updates on the security situation in their respective municipalities. Continuing the efforts in facilitating the process of establishing MCSCs in the north, in May, the Mission facilitated four informational workshops on strengthening the practical application of community policing concept on local and municipal levels in four northern municipalities. Approximately 60 participants, including municipal officials, KP officers, and the chairpersons of the newly established LPSCs in the north, engaged in a constructive discussion on community policing approaches, and issued their proposals and suggestions for improvements. From 4-17 November, the Mission organized four additional interactive workshops12 on partnership building and problem solving in municipal community safety. The aim of these workshops was to enhance the understanding of potential members of MCSCs, in order for them to apply practically these approaches and to strengthen their knowledge of community safety infrastructure in their municipalities. These 12 workshops were part of a wider initiative that intends to engage community leaders to voice their opinion on community safety developments following the successful establishment of six LPSCs in northern Kosovo in 2014 and 2015. On 15 December, the Mission supported the MoIA in organizing a conference with mayors as MCSC chairpersons, in order to familiarize themselves with an overview of the Strategy and Action Plan on Prevention of Violent Extremism and Radicalisation Leading to Terrorism (VERLT) 2015-2020. Discussions focused on the challenges and the potential role that MCSCs can play in countering radicalization and violent extremism, while creating links and networks toward regional co-operation and strengthening of both local and municipal community safety forums. The event hosted 19 mayors, 3 deputy mayors, representatives of the MoIA, Ministry of Local Government Administration, KP, ICITAP, UNDP, and the members of the Steering Group for Monitoring the Implementation of the Community Safety Strategy and Action Plan 2011-2016. Northern Kosovo The Mission implemented several activities in the newly established KP Region of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North, which includes the following four police stations: Mitrovica/ Mitrovicë North, Zubin Potok, Leposavić/Leposaviq, and Zvečan/Zveçan. From 23-26 February, the Mission organized the first round of roundtable meetings for newly integrated police officers from police stations in northern Kosovo, where, at the request of the regional police management, the issue of the rights of arrested persons was further clarified. From 27-30 April, the Mission organized the second round of these roundtable meetings, which were attended by KP station commanders, deputy station commanders and other police officers. Participants discussed the needs of the KP with regard to “Dealing with individuals from vulnerable groups: women, children, mentally disabled persons, victims of trafficking, minors, victims of domestic violence; during police work”. During these roundtables, participants discussed the means of support for these particularly vulnerable groups. From 7-10 September, the third round of these roundtable meetings were held, where the Mission presented the topic of use of force in the domestic legislation and in international standards through the European Convention on Human Rights, European Code of Police Ethics, and other publications, such as the OSCE’ Guidebook on Democratic Policing. Workshops were held in Zvečan/Zveçan, Leposavić/Leposaviq, Mitrovca/Mitrovicë North and Zubin Potok municipalities. 55