The Council of Europe Police Network has held its annual international conference on police activities.
This year’s event was dedicated to situations of violence and use of force. It brought together high-ranking representatives of the Ministries of Interior and national police services, academia, IPCAN (Independent Police Complaints Authorities’ Network), and CESP (the European Council of Police Trade Unions) delegates.
The conference was the occasion to reaffirm that any force by law enforcement should only be used if strictly necessary and in proportionate manner, and that any excessive use of force or even violence should be properly investigated in line with the European Court of Human Rights standards.
The delegates emphasised the importance of proper training for police, the need for standard operating procedures to handle high risk events, along with communication and de-escalation measures.
The participating police practitioners and experts praised the Council of Europe Police Network as an important framework for collecting good policing practices and promoting European standards in policing.
Germany will chair the Police Network for the year to come.