Community Police Officer Day in Ukraine Date in the current year: May 28, 2024

A community police officer is an officer of the National Police of Ukraine who lives and works in a certain territorial community (hromada, a basic unit of administrative division in Ukraine, similar to a municipality). Their main tasks are to ensure order and prevent offenses and crimes within their territorial community.

The Community Police Officer Project was initiated by the leaders of the National Police of Ukraine in 2018 as the next step in the reform of the National Police and administrative decentralization of Ukraine. It received the support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and was officially launched on May 28, 2019, when 34 community police officers began their service in 22 amalgamated territorial communities of Dnepropetrovsk Oblast (region). As of April 2023, 1,298 community police officers were serving in 658 territorial communities in 23 regions of Ukraine.

Community police officers not only work in a specific territorial community, they also, more often than not, live there, and therefore are a part of the community. The main goal of the Community Police Officer Project is to provide each territorial community of Ukraine with a police officer who will become an integral part of the community and will

• take an active part in the life of his or her community
• build a relationship with each resident of the community
• organize crime prevention events (community meetings, speeches in schools, joint initiatives, etc.)
• work closely with community residents
• help resolve conflicts
• ensure compliance with the rules and procedures of weapons storage and use by individuals and legal entities
• fight against raiding and poaching
• ensure safety and order within their territorial community
• help police detectives solve crimes committed in their territorial community
• take measures to prevent and stop domestic violence

Community police officers who work in border communities are also expected to cooperate with the border service to prevent and combat illegal migration, contraband, and other illegal activities.

Only active police officers can become community police officers. Police officers for territorial communities are selected by a commission which includes representatives of the National Police of Ukraine and leaders of the community in which the officer will live and work. As a result, community police officers report not only to their superiors in the National Police, but also to the heads of their respective communities.

Community Police Officer Day is observed annually on May 28 to commemorate the launch of the Community Police Officer Project and highlight the important work that community police officers are doing in their territorial communities. On the occasion of the holiday, community police officers who’ve distinguished themselves over the past year are given various rewards.