Bicycles and community policing in Uganda

The bikes will be used in all districts across Uganda and will help improve the local Police presence and engagement with the public.

An Garda Síochána and the Ugandan Police Force, with support from Irish Aid, are working together to change community policing in Uganda - using mountain bikes as a key part of this. The new emphasis on community policing in Uganda is to change a style of policing which involved little interaction with the community and where police were often viewed with fear.  This project aims to help Ugandan police engage more with their local communities, to improve their relationship with members of the public in order to help tackle the root causes of crime.

The programme began with 68 Police Officers receiving ‘training of trainers’ by An Garda Síochána in 2011 and 2012. These trainers then went on to train more than 600 UPF Officers in Community Policing methods. A further 30 District Police Commanders were trained in the administration of Community Policing and 10 Police Officers were trained in media relations.

This year, over 400 mountain bikes were donated to the Ugandan Police Force by Irish Aid and the Police Officers who will use them received training in community policing as well as bike maintenance and repair. The bikes will be used in all districts across Uganda and will help improve the local Police presence and engagement with the public.