A Direct Line to Help

Increased security is the aim of Afghanistan’s 119 Emergency Call Center

UNIPATH STAFF

By Calling 119 on their phones, Afghan citizens have become major players in their own security.

Whether the calls seek help in an emergency, identify terrorists or report government corruption, the Afghan National Police 119 Emergency Call Center (ECC) is designed to increase security and support the rule of law.

“The 119 Emergency Call Center is the only source which provides ‘voices’ to the community,” said Afghan Gen. Mohammad Humayoon Ainee, who heads the organization. “Every day, 119 ECCs receive more than 1,000 phone calls from the community who are reporting various cases, mostly emergencies, which the police provide immediate services to the community on a daily basis 24 hours a day.”

The country’s Ministry of Interior Affairs established the first 119 ECC in Kabul in 2008. The system provides safe lines for citizens to report not just terrorism and crime, but also governmental misdeeds.

Anti-corruption

Serving as a national corruption reporting and response center, the 119 ECC is a first responder to complaints about corruption. The center compiles official records of all cases and reports investigative findings to the minister of the interior.

The center has fielded complaints about police behavior that have resulted in transfers, termination and other disciplinary action. Gen. Ainee vouched for the integrity of the call centers, saying that everyone is treated the same when it comes to accusations of corruption. High rank or title won’t result in leniency if the complaint is legitimate.

Protecting Afghans

Beyond anti-corruption measures, 119 ECCs receive and process emergency requests for police, fire and medical help. They handle cases of human rights abuses and violence against women.

The centers also play an important role in uncovering and preventing terrorist plots. For instance, ECCs take reports from the community regarding improvised explosive devices (IEDs), often deployed as roadside bombs. By early December 2014, citizens had reported 6,041 IEDs that were later defused by security forces, avoiding catastrophic loss of life.

The centers’ ability to collect and connect tips from citizens has led to the arrest of terrorists and criminals. One prominent case involved the arrest of 21 extremists accused in the bombing deaths of civilians traveling to a wedding.

“I am proud to be the head of 119 ECC and providing policing services to the community,” Gen. Ainee said.

ECC management

In addition to the 119 ECC in Kabul, centers have been established in Mazar-e Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Helmand and Ningrahar. The federal government would like to open two more, in Kunduz and Paktiya provinces. The centers are financed by the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan and the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghans.

With a background in intelligence, Gen. Ainee has worked as chief of the National Security Directorate in Kabul and at postings in Faryab and Parwan provinces. For three years he served as senior advisor to the General National Security Directorate in Kabul and as advisor to the Ministry of Interior.

As director for the Community Policing Directorate and head of 119 ECC, Gen. Ainee has built relationships with foreign partners that have benefited the programs he oversees. 

“I have learned lots of good lessons from U.S. advisors, especially in the field of management and administration, intelligence services, public relations and diplomacy,” he told Unipath.   

As for the future, Gen. Ainee said one of the challenges is having adequate staff to operate the centers with round-the-clock support.

“Whenever a report comes from the community, it should be processed immediately and provide the assistance as required by the public,” Ainee said. “Otherwise, it will damage the trust and confidence between police and community.” 

Building Stability through Sports

Afghanistan has benefited from a program that unites police and youth on the playing fields

UNIPATH STAFF

More than 30 years of almost continuous conflict have left their mark on relations between Afghan police and the communities they serve. But during the past three years, thousands of Afghan youth spread over 15 provinces have interacted with police officers on the friendliest of terms as teammates in sporting contests.

The nongovernmental organization Sport and Youth Development Organization (SYDO) sponsors dozens of teams that pair citizens with police officers to train and compete in tournaments. Sports include volleyball, football, basketball, badminton, taekwondo and karate. This exercise in creative policing and community outreach has helped build trust among participants who have included more than 2,000 police officers.

“One measurable indicator of that trust is increased willingness to report crime and security incidents, but we do not mean to imply that this is the only impact of the program,” SYDO President Zia Dashti told Unipath. “The benefits associated with this program also include educating people about the values of participatory democracy, team building and learning to hold themselves and the Afghan government responsible for the state of affairs in their respective communities and nationally.” 

Community policing is a relatively new concept in Afghanistan. The Afghan National Police was created in 2002 with a focus more on combating terrorism on a national scale than fighting crime at the local level. By 2008, Afghanistan’s Ministry of the Interior affirmed that community policing would play a larger role not only in Kabul but throughout the provinces. 

An Afghan National Police 119 Emergency Call Center was set up to allow citizens to report crimes, corruption and terrorism. Complaint boxes installed in communities began to collect anonymous tips. Regular consultations between communities and police officials aired grievances. To build familiarity with the work that police do, police stations were equipped with public information desks, and outreach programs were established in schools.

Using sports to improve police-community relations began in February 2011, initially in Kabul, Parwan, Kapisa, Panjsheer, Bamyan, Nangarhar and Kandahar but expanding to eight more provinces through 2014.

The program organizes three training sessions between local athletes and police every week, capped by a monthly event or tournament in which police/citizen teams compete against existing teams from across the communities. The 36 teams in the program include three women’s squads participating in taekwondo, volleyball and basketball. Starting with 50 events the first year, the program expects to hold 150 events through the year ending in 2015. Tens of thousands of spectators have attended the tournaments.

“The tournaments involve speeches from governors, police chiefs, ministry officials, and local influential leaders emphasizing the importance of good relationships between the police and the people,” program manager Shiran Jellani said. “Some areas have also held parades, marches or other events celebrating the teams and the collaboration between police and communities.”

An important side benefit of the sporting events is an increase in citizen engagement in stopping crime. In 2013 alone, athletes involved in the community outreach provided tips that foiled 33 incidents of crime or terrorism. Kidnappings were prevented, roadside bombs defused, robberies interrupted and illegal drugs seized.

Dashti views sports outreach as a vital ingredient to stabilizing the country, with benefits on many levels.

“The environment is still unstable and the gains fragile, so it is vital to consolidate shared goals and communities activities that result in citizens and police forces teaming up to fight crime and militancy,” Dashti said.

“The road ahead, similar to years past, is not without risk and danger, but we are willing to continue down this path and make the sacrifices required to establish a government of the people that is responsive to the needs and interests of ordinary citizens for peace, justice and freedom.”