PKSOI Lessons Learned Report January 2019 | Page 9

MoU was supporting revisions of laws and policies, inclusive of inputs from CSOs and local
communities – which heretofore had been marginalized. Besides this structured engage-
ment at the higher level (codified in the MoU), Saferworld/Usalama also initiated local public
mechanisms to recognize and reward outstanding police officers. This community level
activity helped alter public opinion of police in a positive way. Also, it helped build a culture
of public service within the police force itself.
3) Promote citizen participation. Saferworld/Usalama established Community Safety
Forums (CSFs) in 13 project sites across the country. Each CSF consisted of some 30
members from the local community – women’s and youth group representatives, community
chiefs/elders/leaders, religious leaders, hospital/health representatives, and police
personnel. The CSFs established three internal teams – accountability teams, crime
observatory (data) teams, and access-to-justice teams – which worked to identify and
develop solutions for various police, crime, and justice issues. Additionally, Usalama and
the NPS – with inputs from citizens – developed a police station “workflow chart” to help
convey (both to police and citizens) how police processes fit into the overall justice system.
4) Ensure strong police ownership over operational policies, including at the local
level. Saferworld/Usalama made a deliberate effort to ensure that the police “owned” the
vision and guidelines for their operations. They facilitated a comprehensive review by the
police – senior, mid-level, and junior police officers from sites across the country – to
update the Service Standing Orders (SSOs), which regulated virtually all aspects of police
performance. As a result of this review – which also included periodic consultations with
government offices, CSOs, and community representatives – the SSOs now contain
detailed guidelines (“owned” by police, and shaped by police and citizens) on key areas
of police professionalism and accountability. The guidelines include the following subjects:
arms and ammunition accountability, arrest and detention procedures, firearms control, and
community policing activities.
5) Support access to resources and data. Local police stations in Kenya had been
relying on manual, outdated systems to record, process, and manage crime data. Their
records and reports were not digitized. To address this shortcoming, Saferworld/Usalama
helped by establishing/resourcing crime observatory systems with a database called the
“crime clock.” Also, crime observatory (data) teams initiated coordination processes with
other institutions (such as hospitals) to gain/upload additional information about crimes. At
4 of the 13 police stations, this collection of information led to recognition of more severe
problems and trends. Across the board, the new database helped to inform leadership
decisions on police strength, deployment, and expertise needed to support operations. As
a result, crime prevention improved.
6) Promote an internal culture of accountability. Saferworld/Usalama worked hard to
strengthen accountability within/across the Kenyan police force. These two partners trained
over 90 investigative officers on external and internal policing oversight mechanisms, the
role of commanders in handling complaints, and the rights of police personnel facing disci-
plinary action. Saferworld/Usalama also arranged for a visit by six Kenyan police officers to
the United Kingdom – where various organizations provided the visitors with information on
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