Tisková zpráva v češtině k dispozici na tomto odkazu.

--

Prague, November 1, 2023 - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic has conducted an analysis of the involvement of the Ukrainian community in the Crime Prevention Assistant (CPA) project. Based on the identified needs, gaps, and examples of good practice, IOM Czechia has prepared recommendations for the existing CPA methodology. The results of the analysis and recommendations are now available for municipalities, cities, and municipal/municipal police to better assess the possibilities of employing persons of Ukrainian nationality as Crime Prevention Assistants. The material will also serve as inspiration for other countries.

The analysis focuses on the current state of the Ukrainian community's involvement in the CPA project. A qualitative survey of relevant municipal/urban police stakeholders identified specific needs, cultural aspects, and areas that are key to the successful implementation of the CPA project. These key areas include, for example, the selection of crime prevention assistants, their training, collaboration with state and local government entities, and the identification of areas in need of improvement.

As part of this analysis, the IOM Czechia also prepared specific recommendations based on the data on areas that municipalities encounter when engaging representatives of the Ukrainian community in the CPA project. "During our interviews with municipal and municipal police, we observed recurring situations, such as questions about the employment of foreigners, requirements for Czech citizenship, or dealing with administrative and legislative challenges. We have incorporated these issues into the resulting analysis and recommendations, making it much easier for municipalities to employ representatives of the Ukrainian community as Crime Prevention Assistants," says Timar Issaová, IBG FP, IOM Czechia.

The document also provides examples of good practice in working with members of various national or ethnic minorities. One example is the CPA project in Plzeň and Liberec, where representatives of the Ukrainian and Roma minorities work together as assistants. "The Crime Prevention Assistant Project has been used by cities across Czechia to successfully reduce crime problems and increase citizens' sense of security for many years. The assistants make a significant contribution to reducing tensions between minorities and the majority population in relation to social exclusion. Therefore, extending our support to municipalities towards addressing the security aspects of the refugee wave was an option, and I am very pleased that the project has proved successful for cities and towns. I am even more pleased that members of the Ukrainian community are also getting involved in improving security. That is why we intend to continue this support next year," says Michal Barbořík, Director of the Crime Prevention Department of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. He added that the CPA project and the recommendations for the involvement of the Ukrainian community will be presented jointly by the Ministry and the IOM Czechia at the international conference Community Policing in Europe: Breaking barriers, building trust in Dublin on 21 November 2023. In this form, the CPA project is unique in Czechia.

Crime Prevention Assistant

The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic has implemented the CPA project since 2009. CPAs are employees of a municipality or city and play a key role in ensuring safety, preventing crime, protecting people and property, and enforcing basic safety standards. This includes the prevention of neighbourhood disputes, minor and latent illegal activities and support for socially excluded localities. There are currently 514 people working in 100 communities as CPAs. They are paid by subsidies from the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (EU funds) and labour offices. The municipalities themselves hire other assistants from their budgets without state support. Approximately 14 persons in 6 municipalities working as CPAs are of Ukrainian nationality. Thus, the IOM Czechia analysis can further support the involvement of the Ukrainian community in the CPA program and facilitate its implementation by the municipalities.

The IOM analysis for the Crime Prevention Department of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic was carried out within the framework of the Regional Assistance Plan for Ukraine with financial support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).

The analysis can be viewed and downloaded here.

***

For more information please contact: fstowasser@iom.int