CAIRO: The Ministry of Interior launched the “Community Partnership with the Police” project, in a bid to bridge the gap the police and the people, in a press conference Monday. The initiative, which will take effect today, June 15, in 10 different provinces over Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and Assiut, is aimed at engaging citizens in what's called "community policing," in coordination with the police force. A little over 1000 volunteers applied for the project but almost a hundred were accepted. The volunteers will be divided over several committees which will meet with police chiefs twice a month to present suggestions and ideas on how to improve different services, solve crises and mend the relationship between the people and the police. The police stations chosen for the first phase of the project are Dokki, Nozha, Abdeen, Manshiyet Nasser, Rod El-Farag, Giza, Omraneya, Thani Montazah, Bab Sharki and Thani Assiut. "Volunteers will not replace the police but they will aid them. I hope these committees can later raise awareness among the communities against crime, drugs and civil defense to lessen the crime rate and police work," said Amr Khaled, renowned Islamic preacher, during the press conference. Khaled is involved in the project through his TV show "Bokra Ahla." Ehab Youssef, secretary general of People and Police for Egypt NGO, was also present at the event. His NGO is a partner in the project. Some participants compared the police's status now to the military's status after the 1967 defeat. They hoped the police would restore its position in a few months. According to the Dokki Police Chief Zakareya Hegazy, the Ministry of Interior previously launched similar initiatives but in overcrowded districts like Boulaq El-Dakrour. Hegazy told Daily News Egypt that community and religious leaders were invested in solving local problems. "We're all welcoming the police to return to their mission," said Mohamed El-Sawy, Founder of El-Sawy Culture Wheel. According to El-Sawy, the people now enjoy a healthy relationship with the police, but that needs to be strengthened. "People should stop using their power to break the law. It's not a merit," he added. Four general committees will be formed in each province that include a representative of the volunteers and an officer who's educated on human rights issues. "We're studying whether to have a human rights officer in every station similar to the public relations officer," said Major General Marwan Mostafa, spokesperson for the interior ministry. "Security is a partnership between the two sides," added Mostafa. The conference honored First Lieutenant Ahmed Samy of Qasr El-Nil station who rescued a CTV reporter from a mob attack on a recent Friday in Tahrir Square. Samy stressed on the importance of accountability because "we're not living in a jungle." Asked about holding police officers, who violated the law, accountable, he said that it's impossible to rectify the wrongdoings of 30 years in a few months. "Officers just take orders from their leaders but if there's proof against any officer, he should be tried," he told DNE. Contacts of volunteers will be available in the 10 police stations and will be published in advertisements to facilitate networking and communication. The project is on a six-month trial period before the ministry widens the scope to include more police stations.
