Promoting community policing in the Palestinian territories

Context

Since the beginning of the Oslo Peace Process, the Federal Republic of Germany has advocated for a negotiated two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinian territories. It is in this political context that the German Government is supporting the Palestinian Authority in preparing for future self-governance. Since the Berlin Conference in 2008, one element of this support has been a partnership between German and Palestinian police forces, with the aim of strengthening the Palestinian police.

Objective

The Palestinian territories have a modern civil police which respects human rights, complies with international rule-of-law standards, and is capable of responding to the population’s needs and protecting the public.

Approach

The programme implements the German-Palestinian Police Partnership in cooperation with the German Federal Criminal Police Office and the German Federal Police.

The project introduced the concept of community policing in a preliminary phase. This is now being fostered further and mainstreamed within the Civil Police. The aim is to optimise policing by shifting from a reactive to an integrative approach which revolves around the needs of the Palestinian population, making the service delivered by the Palestinian police more effective and inclusive.

The project is also establishing a permanent course for senior officers, which trains them in professional and efficient leadership and administration of Palestinian policing. It is also continuing to support gender-sensitive personnel management to make it easier for female police officers to access leadership positions.

A new project component is police professionalisation in investigative techniques, focusing primarily on crime scene management and forensics.

Last update: March 2023