Police and Roma communities in Slovenia: an evaluation of the community policing approach
Abstract
Policing multicultural communities presents challenges for contemporary
policing. Historically and currently, the interactions between police and multicultural communities are
often strained due to language barriers, cultural misperceptions on both sides, fear of outside authority
figures on the part of marginalized groups etc. The Roma population, Europe’s largest minority, is a
target of persistent persecution from each and every power in history and even in the present times, not
only in countries that lack democratic tradition, but also in countries which consider themselves
cradles of democracy. The first record of the Roma people in Slovenia goes back to the 14th century.
Statistics show that approximately 3.200 Roma people live in Slovenia, but the actual number varies
between 11.000 and 12.000. In Slovenia, the Roma community is a minority community recognized
by the Constitution as a special community or minority with particular ethnic and cultural
characteristics (its own language, culture and history). The constitutional provision was realized by the
adoption of the Roma Community in the Republic of Slovenia Act (2007). Slovenia is among those
European countries that include Roma in the management of public affairs at the local level (as Roma
councillors). The relation between the police and Roma communities is crucial in many ways. Roma
are often the target of racially motivated discrimination and violence. Being one of the most exposed
pieces of the state apparatus, the police are implicated in Roma issue. Locally, they deal with security
issues involving Roma people being lawbreakers as well as victims on a daily basis. As in other
countries, in Slovenia too, police have adopted community policing philosophies and practices. It is
important to prepare and train those public servants who have regular contact with members of the
Roma community. In this context, training of police officers focuses on understanding and
overcoming discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes. In 2003 in the Policy Academy started the
project "Policing in a multi-ethnic community". The objectives of such training courses were to make
police officers aware of their own prejudices, to introduce them Roma culture and traditions, (to
understand the importance of a comprehensive approach, to evaluate ways of managing security
events and to understand the importance of dialogue. The aim of the project was also to inform
inhabitants of certain Roma settlements about legislative provisions concerning typical offences in
certain areas and thus non-criminal incidents, causing discomfort to the neighbouring population. In
the past years, more than 1950 police officers have participated in this training. Roma councillors and
other representatives of the Roma population also participate actively in such training events. The
results are manifold: fewer offences, fewer occasions when policemen were unable to carry out
relevant procedures, more offences and crimes reported by Roma themselves, and joint management (within individual competencies) of complex security events that might, were they not resolved in a
timely manner, become serious crimes.
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