EU police mission trains 2000 Palestinian policemen

The EU Police Mission in the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS) has till now trained over 2000 Palestinian civil police personnel and 125 judges, according to Kenneth Deane, head of the mission. He told a press conference in Brussels Friday that the aim of EUPOL COPPS, launched on 1 January 2006, is to contribute to the establishment of credible, professional and effective policing arrangements and to advise Palestinian counterparts on criminal justice and rule of law. The EU mission is made up of 70 personnel. On his part, Major Loay Irziqat from the Palestinian Civil Police, told the joint press conference that they have been "able to establish a good and strong police service in Palestine after it was ruined by Israeli occupation in recent years". He thanked he EUPOL COPPS for all its support. The Palestinian police has prepared plans in order to achieve the level for a police of a future independent Palestinian state, he stated. Irziqat said the Palestinian police force is currently only operating in the West Bank but after the Palestinian reconciliation is achieved emergency plans are ready to operate in Gaza also. "We see more people coming to the police stations and reporting crime and this is one indication that people are trusting police more and more," said the Palestinian police official. On her part, Eman Jamoos, Judge, Palestinian High Judicial Council, explained how the Council works saying it is an independent body that supervises the affairs of courts and judges in Palestine. "EUROPL mission has a distinguished role in support of Palestinian judicial sector," she said.