Humane, accountable, responsive and capable Police and Border Guards play a vital role in ensuring the security of the state and its citizens. DCAF works with police forces to promote democratic accountability, human rights and the principle of equality before the law. DCAF’s activities in the field of border management focus on helping states move from confrontational Defence-led border security structures to modern cooperative border security organisations, usually under the Ministry of the Interior. Through these activities DCAF seeks to play a role in ensuring regional stability and human security.

Southeast Europe remains the focus of DCAF’s activities in the field of police reform and border management. Key activities include:

• supporting regional police cooperation, in particular in the framework of the implementation of the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe , ratified by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia.
• fostering the development of networks of senior police officers and female police officers in the region through the Southeast European Police Chiefs’ Association  (SEPCA) and the Southeast Europe Women Police Officers’ Network .
• promoting good governance of the Police through knowledge products such as, the Manual on Decision Making in Policing  and Police Anti-Corruption Toolkit.
• conducting capacity building programmes for police and border guards including two established courses for border security personnel, particularly regional and station commanders from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine; and a programme to support the creation of joint investigation teams in the region.
• contributing to integrated border management through work on issues such as legal reform; risk analysis; intelligence and criminal investigation; logistical support; leadership and management; education and training; and European integration.

DCAF also works with Police in the Middle East and North Africa :

• training Palestinian police officers on mainstreaming gender issues.
• producing the Procedural Manual for Palestinian Law-Enforcement Officers and training police on its application.

Finally, DCAF’s ISSAT  works with the UN to assess policing requirements in post-conflict settings and develop strategies to meet these requirements. ISSAT is also involved in evaluating UN police deployments as part of UN peacekeeping operations, on behalf of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).