KATHMANDU: ALTUS Alliance is organising Police Station Visitors’ Week (PSVW) from October 26 to November 1.

As plans go, small teams of residents, during the event, will visit their local police stations in 20 countries to assess certain aspects of services provided to the public, Conflict Study Centre (CSC) stated here today.

The 20 countries that have been selected from all the five continents are Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Uganda from Africa; Brazil, Chile and Peru from Latin America; the United States from North America; Albania, Russia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom from Europe; and Nepal, Malaysia, India, Pakistan and Sri-Lanka from Asia.

Altus, the organiser of the event, is a global alliance working to improve public safety and justice.

Conflict Study Centre is one among the local partner organisations of the Altus Global Alliance for Police Station Visitors’ Week, which is organising the PSVW, for the first time in Nepal. “The event will incorporate 10 police stations in Kathmandu, namely Balaju, Bouddha, Bhaktapur, Gaushala, Humandhoka, Kalimati, Lalitpur, Maharajgung, New-Baneshwor and Singha Durbar,” read the statement.

The visit by small groups of citizens is designed to boost the five dimensions of police service — community orientation, physical condition, equal treatment of the public, detention conditions, transparency and accountability.

PSVW helps assess the quality of services delivered in the participating police departments, identify best practices, strengthen accountability of police to local citizens whom they serve and promote human rights standards.

The main goal of the programme is said to uplift the quality of local police service in comparison to international standards. This could also be crucial to build trust and cooperation between the police and communities.