Situational room for training police to combat domestic violence opens in Luhansk Oblast

December 1, 2021

Local police officers can now practice their professional skills in responding effectively to domestic violence

Photo credit: Oleksii Kovalov / UNDP in Ukraine

Sievierodonetsk, Ukraine, 30 November 2021 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine has opened a situational room for training police to combat domestic violence at the training centre of the Main Department of the National Police in Luhansk Oblast, in Sievierodonetsk.

The situational room is a specially equipped interactive space that simulates the conditions in which violence can be committed in the home, such as in a one-room apartment. At the training centre, under the guidance of experienced specialists and instructors, police officers will reconstruct conflict situations and develop an algorithm of actions of how to prevent domestic violence and protect those who experience it. The room is also equipped with cameras and microphones so that coaches can provide real-time feedback remotely.

The situational room was equipped by UNDP under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme with financial support from the governments of Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.

The Head of the Community Security and Social Cohesion Component of the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, Federica Dispenza, said that domestic violence often goes unnoticed, silenced by stigma, shame and the fear of criminals and the justice system.

“This situational room is one of many tools for our joint work with our national and international partners to make every girl and boy, every woman and man in the east of Ukraine feel safe and heard in their communities and at home,” Dispenza said. “The new knowledge and skills that the police will gain here will undoubtedly save someone’s life in a time of despair, giving them a chance for a happy and fulfilling life.”

The total cost of the room’s equipment was over US$17,000 (over UAH 450,000). UNDP purchased construction materials, furniture, a computer, audio and video equipment, and other items for the kitchen and the room.

The Head of the Main Department of the National Police in Luhansk Oblast, Oleh Hryhorov, said combating domestic and gender-based violence was a priority for the police in Luhansk Oblast.

“Every day, dozens of reports of family quarrels that require police intervention are received on the 102 line,” Hryhorov said. “Professional and coordinated actions by police officers reduce the negative consequences of domestic violence and contribute to the de-escalation of conflicts. So the training room for police officers to respond to cases of domestic violence will be an effective tool and will have a real impact on improving police services in the communities of Luhansk Oblast.”

Background

The United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

Twelve international partners support the Programme: The European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.

Media enquiries

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Communications Team Leader, yuliia.samus@undp.org

November 2021: Situational room for training police to combat domestic violence opens in Luhansk Oblast