In Atyrau Region, police community liaison officers are being trained in the prevention of domestic violence and in working with victims. At a three-day seminar-training, police officers are taught not only the requirements of the law, but also how to speak to a person in a state of stress and ensure their safety. It is community liaison officers who most often are the first to arrive at calls about family conflicts.
WHO IS CONDUCTING THE TRAINING
As reported by the Regional Communications Service of Atyrau Region, the regional seminar-training is entitled “Prevention of Domestic Violence: Law and Practice”. It is attended by police community liaison officers from Atyrau and the districts of the region.
The training was organised by the regional department of internal policy and the public association (PA) “Shanyrak-2008” with the support of the commission on women’s affairs and family and demographic policy under the regional akimat.
WHAT COMMUNITY LIAISON OFFICERS ARE TAUGHT
The training programme consists of a legal part and a psychological part. Police officers study the requirements of legislation on the prevention of domestic violence, learn to identify signs of an offence and go through the procedure for operational response.
“In addition, issues of establishing trusting contact with victims, communicating with regard for their psychological state, providing support to people in a stressful situation and ensuring their safety are being considered,” noted Zhana Ilassova, a representative of the PA “Shanyrak-2008”.
WHY AN APPROACH TO VICTIMS MATTERS
Whether a victim decides to report violence and see the matter through to the end largely depends on the first contact with a police officer. That is why the organisers focused on the ability to establish trust and take a person’s psychological state into account.
