The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine launched a new project called "Police Officer of Hromada", which will cover more than 29,000 settlements. By the end of 2020 it will work throughout the territory of Ukraine.

Today, on 28 May, the project was presented on the Sofiia Square in the Kyiv centre, being the next step in reforming the National Police.

The "Police Officer of Hromada" Project plans to be implemented in two stages: the first one (2019) will work in 802 amalgamated hromadas, the second one (2020) will cover the territory of the entire state.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman congratulated the first trained officers and stressed that only in close coordination with citizens safe environment can be built in Ukraine.

“Today we are witnessing the start of a new permanent project between the police and hromadas. This relationship should be aimed at ensuring quality living conditions, responding to any situations, and giving people a sense of safety. I am glad to congratulate you as the first ones joining the project. There are still a lot of tasks, but I know for sure that you will be provided with everything you need to carry out your duties in a diligent and sincere way. All opportunities derived from decentralisation must be invested in the life quality of Ukrainian citizens,” stressed Volodymyr Groysman.

Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov said that development of the police continues based on the “serve and protect” principle.

“We offer the society a new level of communication and police services, the so-called community policing. The purpose of the project is to provide each hromada with a police officer. The project will cover about 30,000 small cities in Ukraine with population of 28 million citizens. Who is the police officer of the hromada? This is a police officer focused on solving safety problems of his/her own hromada. He/she is accessible to people, being next to them,” the minister stressed.

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