Towards Community Policing: Buiucani Police Station No. 3 in Chisinau will become more friendly and accessible

To celebrate, an open house was held for all interested parties: people living near the police station, journalists, and representatives of civil society.  All had the opportunity to see how the renovated police station is organized and equipped, and to meet eight police officers working at the station.

“The mission of the police is to provide safety to all citizens and this can be achieved by having close communication with the citizens and focusing the police activity on solving the problems that the community encounters. This police station represents the essence of such a collaboration and approach, thus I invite the citizens to come to the police station and approach the police officers with any issues they have: whether they need information, have any questions, situations of uncertainty or a problem”, mentioned Alexandru Pinzari, Chief of Police.

According to international practices, the police station, due to its place in the community, is the basic element of the community policing. This concept implies setting up a partnership between the police and community to solve problems of public security, while the activity of police officers is focused on the needs of the community and getting closer to citizens. 

“This is another big step for community policing in Moldova. This event today brings the police closer to the people they serve. When we all work together, we make our societies more prosperous, more democratic, and safer for our families.”, said James Pettit, the U.S. Ambassador to Chisinau.

One of the current priorities of the Police is to enhance the relations between the community and police, which may be fulfilled only through openness towards citizens, mutual involvement and cooperation. Thus, the new design of the police station is the result of the consultations held with the community members and incorporates their expectations regarding the functionality, physical accessibility, transparency and friendliness of this space. 

The police station will facilitate the cooperation between the community and police, offering opportunities to organise educational activities and community support, a designated area for children, free Wi-Fi access, as well as modern workspace for police officers.

“This is a great achievement for the Police and for the country. I do hope that people who will come here will benefit from services of high quality offered by our employees and solutions to solve issues they are facing”, said the Minister of Internal Affairs Alexandru Jizdan.

Alongside the law enforcement staff, the police station will also host representatives of the International Center “La Strada” who will provide assistance, counselling, and specialized and qualified help to victims of domestic violence, as well as victims of sexual violence, exploitation and harassment.

The renovation and modernization of Buiucani Police Station No. 3 was possible due to the support provided by the U.S. Embassy to the Republic of Moldova and the United National Development Programme (UNDP), under the “Support to Police Reform in the Republic of Moldova” Project, implemented by the UNDP.

“The remodeled police station represents a more transparent, accessible, and friendlier environment to serve 45,000 of people of the Buiucani district of Chisinau. The police station will facilitate the cooperation between the community and police, with opportunities for educational activities and community support. This police station will serve as a model for the reform of the police on national level to implement the community policing concept”, said Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova.

The Police of the Republic of Moldova have cooperated with the U.S. Embassy and UNDP for more than 10 years, during which time they have carried out a number of activities meant to strengthen the institutional and professional capacities of the police staff, to ensure a safe environment for all men and women in the Republic of Moldova, and to increase the level of public trust in the police.

The total value of the assistance provided by the U.S. Embassy and UNDP for renovating and equipping the police station amounts to USD 170,000.