Guinea’s community policing successes to be shared at high-level Conakry event

  December 2, 2019

More than 400 representatives of government, police, civil society and the public will convene in Guinea’s capital Dec. 4 to 6 to share the outcomes of nearly five years of security sector reform focused on strengthening community-police relations and improving police services.

Co-hosted by the Government of Guinea’s Ministry of Security and Civil Protection and the U.S. Embassy, the three-day Share Fair will feature presentations, storytelling, theater and discussion showcasing the results and lessons learned from the Partners for Security in Guinea project. The five-year project is funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by a consortium led by PartnersGlobal, COGINTA, CECIDE and Partners West Africa Senegal.

With interactive dialogues and exhibits, in addition to high-level keynote addresses and panels, the Share Fair seeks to educate citizens about community-led initiatives and structures that address security and crime and engage participants in conversations around the importance of investment in community policing. Specifically, sessions will address:

• Community policing and security sector reform in the Sahel featuring Guinea, Senegal, and Burkina Faso;
• Security concerns and sectoral collaboration in Guinee linking “police of proximity” and “justice of proximity”;
• Local innovations in community-oriented crime preventions and in communes’ security;
• Collaboration between police and youth leaders that increases trust, improves crime prevention and strengthens dialogue;
• Collaboration between police and women’s organizations that restores trust and increases women’s participation in community safety and crime prevention initiatives; and
• Engaging local government leaders in community safety and security.

About Partners for Security in Guinea

The Partners for Security in Guinea program aims to improve overall citizen security by strengthening the community-oriented services of the Guinea National Police through institutionalized trainings and policies. With citizen trust in police at a low, the program aims to improve relationships between police and communities such that they work together to address security challenges.

Operating in Conakry and the regions of Kindia, Mamou, Labe, Kankan and Siguiri, the program supports the establishment of community-oriented policing through a two-pronged approach:

1. Strengthen the institutional capacity of the Guinea National Police in general and its leadership through training and institutional support; and
2. Build community trust in the police and increase their awareness of both the Guinea National Police and the community’s security rights and responsibilities.

To date, the Partners for Security in Guinea program has trained more than 650 police officers in community policing, administration and coordination of police services. It has supported the National Police in substantial reforms to make services more streamlined and accessible and facilitated ongoing community-police interaction and structures such as crime prevention councils and dialogues between police and youth and women’s groups. The program’s Community Safety Fund is supporting innovative local crime prevention initiatives across the country.