New Tactics | English, police

Opening police files to victims of abuse to promote justice and healing

The Centro de Documentación y Archivo (CDyA) opens police files to the public to contribute to justice and healing in Paraguay. The discovery of an immense cache of files in a small Paraguayan police station by a former political prisoner in December 1992 led to the creation of the CDyA. This archive is commonly known as the “Archive of Terror” because of the nature of the files it contains. These files document prisoners’ detention experiences in detail and have been used to corroborate individuals’ stories of detention during several Latin American dictatorships, to confirm the disappearance of citizens, and as evidence in the prosecution of former police and military personnel in several Latin American countries.

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Organizing demonstrations outside of police stations after arrests of activists

Otpor! (“Resistance!” in Serbo-Croatian) prepared “Plan B” demonstrations outside of police stations to respond immediately to arrests during protest events in Serbia. Whenever the police arrested activists in their demonstrations, Otpor! would instantaneously launch a second operation, mobilizing more people to show up at the police stations and protest the arrest. The events at the police station became media showpieces, calling attention to the injustice of the arrests and the illegitimacy of the regime. They also provided moral support and encouragement to the arrested activists, turning them into local and national heroes, rather than forgotten victims. Otpor! thus turned the regime’s policy of arrests to its own advantage and continued to build a movement.

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Developing a law enforcement network to promote professionalism and network rights among themselves

The Liberia National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA) in Liberia was founded in May 1994 to promote professionalism and human rights among law enforcement personnel themselves. LINLEA recognized that law enforcement personnel are primary perpetrators of human rights abuses and violations. The association provides training and assistance to personnel who would like to transform the role of law enforcement into a well-trained, human rights-respecting organization. This assistance includes some protection when facing unfair dismissals or arbitrary detention. LINLEA has grown into a network of more than 500 dues-paying law enforcement personnel.

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notebook: Tandem©: Cross-cultural exchange between police and migrants

The international Centre for Cultures and Languages (ICCL) in Vienna adapted the "TANDEM©" program– originally created for language learning– to human rights education with police and migrant populations in a unique and profound way called "intercultural-TANDEM©."

The result has been "Tandem© Learning", a cultural contact program that improves intercultural understanding.

notebook: Promoting Human Rights Professionalism in the Liberian Police Force

In this notebook, we learn about the efforts, ability, and commitment of law enforcement personnel–one of the most difficult groups to reach regarding human rights–to address and confront human rights issues and violations from their own perspective and within their own ranks.

notebook: Police Training

This notebook discusses how a strategy to work toward promoting community policing in Thailand and other countries in Asia utilized the introduction of a unique, computer-based police training education program to engage and enlist the support of key leadership of the Royal Thai Police (RTP) to champion the training tool.

notebook: International Monitoring Bodies

This notebook demonstrates how international mechanisms can be a powerful tool for organizations trying to bring about change in their community. This notebook uses the example of Northern Ireland and describes how the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) was able to successfully utilise the UN Committee Against Torture to pressure the UK to establish mechanisms and standards for human rights.