RAN Police and Law Enforcement Working Group: Proposed Policy Recommendations
Author(s):
The European Commission-funded Radicalisation Awareness Network RAN Police and Law Enforcement Working Group (RAN POL) is the working group for police and other law enforcement officials who are responsible for community related police work. The objective of RAN POL is to increase awareness of the issue of violent radicalisation amongst first line police officers. The RAN POL should facilitate networking of practitioners involved in countering violent radicalisation, promote learning and cooperation related to the prevention of violent radicalisation through conferences, seminars, round tables, workshops & study visits, and to formulate recommendations to policy makers. The tasks of the RAN POL working group are to:, On 24-26 April 2012 RAN POL organised a meeting in Sofia. Some 70 police officers and law enforcement officials from nearly all Member States attended. All looked upon the police as a partner, cooperating with other organisations, in an integrated approach on radicalisation. The focus of the RAN POL meeting was on prevention instead of repression. RAN POL has planned two regional conferences, the first for the seven Nordic and Baltic Member States took place on 12-13 December 2012 in Riga. To prepare this conference, a preparatory meeting in Copenhagen has taken place on 17-18 September 2012, which was attended by officers from all seven Nordic and Baltic Member States. The following paper outlines some of the core policy recommendations of the Working Group.

