Project Description

The Ivanaj Foundation with the support of the Municipality of Tirana has started the implementation of the project “My Friend the Police”,  which aims to build a good practice of cooperation between parents, teachers and police officers to successfully tackle any issues related to public order, security and respect for the rights of every individual living in their community regardless of economic, social status, origin, belief, gender or ethnicity.

The project aims to strengthen the capacities of community-based groups and coalitions, continuous exchange of information, legal education and awareness of law enforcement, school safety norms and respect for individual rights.

Based on the results of periodic studies conducted by the Institute of Public Health and the analysis of the General Directorate of Prisons, it can be stated that juvenile delinquency in Albania has been and remains a problem of concern for Albanian society. Increasing numbers at the local level prove this statement.

Specific objectives of this project are:

  • Strengthening the capacity and role of community groups, coalitions for legal/civic education of the minors, and prevention of violent/dangerous behavior.
  • Education of parents and minors on the norms of law, about road and school safety and the rights of the individuals.
  • Raising the awareness of the public and parents particularly about the role of community policing, the importance of continuous parent-teacher-police communication to prevent violent/dangerous behavior of the minors, avoidance of road incidents, and emergency procedures in cases of fire, floods or earthquake.

What we expect at the end of this project:

  • Community groups with parents, students, teachers and community activists are prepared and committed to the undertaking of legal/civic education of the minors and preventing violent/dangerous behavior.
  • Parents and teachers can be active participants in attending information sessions and public discussions on legal regulations, school safety and individual rights. Part of this outcome is the preparation, publication, and dissemination of a parenting guide on school safety.
  • Community organizations, groups and coalitions with parents, students, teachers and community activists can take action to further promote awareness among parents especially about the role of community policing, the importance of having ongoing parent-teacher-police communication to prevent violent/dangerous behavior of minors, avoiding road accidents, and how to act in emergency situations such as fire, floods or earthquakes.
  • A learning base that facilitates the replication and adaptation of the practice of parent-school-police cooperation in other areas of Albania.

To accomplish the above objectives, we are organizing information sessions with parents and teachers in 11 administrative units of Tirana where experts in the field of safety and rights of the minors will explain the importance of obtaining appropriate information from the needed parties and monitoring the implementation of these rights.

At the end of these sessions, an interactive platform will be built to launch the educational campaign “On the safety and rights of minors”.