RAMALLAH, December 10, 2009 (WAFA)- At a press conference today on the activities of EUPOL COPPS during 2009, Head of Mission, Chief Constable (ret.) Paul Kernaghan, praised the progress made by the Palestinian Civil Police (PCP).
“I would like to emphasise that the purpose of this press conference is not to highlight EUPOL COPPS’s achievements for 2009. We are here in support of the PCP and the Palestinian Justice system. Thus, we are not here for our own success but rather to support the PCP and Palestinian Criminal Justice System in their work. The real achievements are those of Palestinians, working on behalf of wider Palestinian society,” he said.
Kernaghan, who finishes his mandate as Head of EUPOL COPPS, at the end of this year, laid out his hopes for the future: “Vision and priorities for the future must come from the PNA and primarily from the Ministry of the Interior. However, my vision is to see the PCP operating alone on the streets of Palestine. The PCP can task the National Security Forces with the permission of the Minister of the Interior, however, in most situations the PCP will be the only security force the Palestinian people encounter in their everyday life.”
“That must become the everyday reality of life locally. Such a development would mark a significant achievement in the creation of a viable and stable Palestinian state. I know that vision is shared by many Palestinian colleagues and the general public,” he added.
Kernaghan was accompanied by the Head of the Rule of Law Section of EUPOL COPPS, Christoph Lukits, who also comes to the end of his mandate this year.
At the event mention was made of the 277 vehicles provided this year to the PCP, the development of the Jericho Police Training School, that will be finished next year and the communication infrastructure that is nearing completion (required capacity has been reached for handheld radios and six out of eight antennas have been built and are functioning).
Also, progress has been made with the rest of the links of the Criminal Justice Chain. All PCP detention facilities have received basic refurbishment and a new prison in Jericho is currently being built. Extensive training has been provided on police and prosecution cooperation. The Bar Association and Higher Judicial Council have also received support from EUPOL COPPS experts.
