While many Afghans look to the Afghan National Police (ANP) as the main provider of security and enforcer of law, the ANP continues to face challenges in becoming a community oriented police service. The Ministry of Interior Affairs (MOIA) of Afghanistan aims to transform the ANP from a paramilitary force into a professional institution capable of ‘winning the loyalty of the people of Afghanistan’ and highlights community policing as a critical methodology to adequately refocus police priorities to demanded community-police services.

Accordingly, this Project focuses on supporting the ANP to (1) increase the trust and cooperation between communities and the police through an enhanced Police-e-Mardumi (PeM) methodology, including piloting new approaches to allow the ANP to capture the voices of the community, together with (2) the establishment of an enabling environment, allowing police personnel working in police districts to deliver improved community-oriented policing services meeting the demands and needs of the communities which they serve. The Project will initially focus on the Provincial Headquarters and Police Districts in Kabul.    

In addition, lessons learned in relation to systemic issues will be used to inform wider ANP organisational reform initiatives and policies supported by other LOTFA projects.