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Democratic Police Training

Between 1990 and early 1994, there were a number of incidents of mob violence in Romania involving actions of violence against the Roma. They frequently took the form of retaliation against Romani residents in villages for real or presumed criminal acts and often included the burning of Romani homes. In most instances, the police were seen by many as contributing directly or indirectly to the severity of these incidents.

In response to these events, the Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) organized and assessment team composed of specialists in police management and mob violence to provide expert advice on the prevention and control of outbreaks of this type of vigilante justice and with the long-term goal of reviewing the administration of justice and the effectiveness of local police.

The assessment team formulated a number of recommendations, many of which directly addressed issues related to the democratization of the Romanian National Police. These included recognition of and respect for multicultural diversity and the management of community needs in a democratic and responsive manner. The Department of Justice Administration, Southern Police Institute was recruited as a partner with PER in late 1994 to promote positive change within the Romanian Police organization and to implement a democratic model of policing through professional exchanges and education.

The activities of this initiative began in October 1994 and have continued through the current work the department is conducting with police through the Healthy Communities Partnership project. Since 1994 the department has engaged in the following activities in Romania.

Meetings between representatives of the Department of Justice Administration and Romanian National Police leadership in Calarasi, Brasov and Bucharest, Romania. Each session involved discussions related to police/minority relations and communit-based policing (October 1994).
Organization and conduct of a conference in Neptune, Romania. Topics included improving police and community partnerships, especially with the minority community. Participants included representatives from the Romanian National Police as well as representatives from the Romani, Hungarian and Russian ethnic minorities organizations (April 1995).
Conduct of a series of Democratic Police Management seminars in Buchares and Brasov Romania. The first was jeld in Brasov in October 1996 and supported in various ways by the Project on Ethnic Relations, Department of Justice Administration, Romanian Ministry of the Interior, Brasov Police Department and Romanian National Police. Two subsequent seminars were held in January 1997 and September 1997 and were funded through a grant from the U. S. Department of State, International Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
In May 1997, in conjunction with an assessment to gain support for further projects within Romania, department representatives worked with the Romanian National Police to develop a strategic plan. This plan included the implementation of community-based policing, enhancement of police/minority relations and the adoption of strong professional standards for police behavior and public accountability. This plan was then presented at a meeting between leadership of the Romanian National Police and the Roma. At this meeting the police sought the advice and support of the Roma in this initiative. The Roma were positive but cautious.
In May 1997, the Department of Justice Administration was awarded an additional grant from the U. S. Department of State. This grant funded several activities initiated to promote the democratic policing and community-based policing models within Romania.
1. In June 1997, 22 Romanian National Police Commanders came to Louisville, Kentucky for a two-week seminar on Democratic Police Management and Community-Based Policing. The agenda consisted of both classroom training and participatory activities such as police ride-alongs, demonstrations of equipment and technical strategies by local police, tours of police specialized units and training facilities and meetings with various local police and criminal justice officials.
2. In December 1997, as a response to a specific request from the Commander of the Romanian National Police, the department organized a one-week training session on Narcotics Investigations.
3. During 1998 and 1999, the department conducted three two-week seminars on Police Public Accountability and Internal Affairs. Approximately 135 Romanian National Police commanders and commanders from the Squad for the Combat of Narcotics and Corruption completed these seminars held in Bucharest and Brasov, Romania.