The Moldovan police will be better equipped to respond swiftly to emergencies and maintain public order, thanks to the assistance from the Japanese government, which has donated 18 hybrid cars and 125 body cameras.
This support is aimed at modernizing police services to enhance community security across the country by enabling quick interventions in remote areas.
The donated modern cars, equipped for police use, will improve police mobility, while the body cameras, widely used by police around the world, will be distributed to 10 district inspectorates in areas with significant numbers of refugees from Ukraine, namely Anenii Noi, Balti, Cahul, Causeni, Cimislia, Edinet, Hincesti, Orhei, Soroca and Ungheni. These devices will foster responsibility among police officers and citizens, aiding in documenting public order violations and gathering evidence.
During the donation ceremony, Minister of Internal Affairs, Adrian Efros, expressed gratitude to the Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for their support in modernizing the internal affairs system. He emphasized the long-standing partnership focused on building public trust in the police through effective community policing and improved professional and accountable law enforcement practices.
“Through robust partnerships and acts of solidarity, the Republic of Moldova reaffirms its determination to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, safeguarding human security and ensuring safety of refugees and addressing the complex challenges of today. I extend my gratitude to the Government of Japan and the UNDP implementation team for their support. The equipment, including the 18 vehicles and 125 body cameras, will enable the police to properly document public order violations and mitigate emerging risks related to road safety,” stressed Adrian Efros.
“Building trust between police and citizens is essential for a functioning democracy. Policing demands significant discipline and training, which becomes even more challenging during times of crisis, with a real war in the neighboring country and a hybrid war in your own country. We hope that body cameras will help make the work of the police safer and more effective,” said Yoichiro Yamada, Japan’s Ambassador to Moldova.
Reducing police response time to 15 minutes by the end of 2024 is among the priorities of the 2022-2030 Internal Affairs Development Strategy. The donated vehicles are expected to contribute significantly to achieving this goal, considering that the average response time to 112 emergency calls in 2022 was approximately 26 minutes.
“As police officers are often the first responders to community security emergencies, an important part of the effort of UNDP and our partners is to support the Moldovan police to further improve their capacity to contribute to public safety and security, prevent crime and violence and protect human rights. The donated equipment will help police officers reduce response times, gather evidence and maintain public order, while building responsibility and trust,” said Daniela Gasparikova, UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova.
“We extend our gratitude to our partners at the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Moldova and the United Nations Development Programme for the ongoing bilateral cooperation and substantial support to the National Police. I can assure you that this donation will contribute substantially to the daily police operations and improve safety in communities”, stated Viorel Cernauteanu, Chief of the General Police Inspectorate. The donated equipment, valued at $870,000, was procured through UNDP.
