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_ leadership. To benefit from all its employees, police
organisations should establish a balance by having
mixed teams at each level of the organisation.
In addition, by having women on decision maldng levels
will also mean diat they flmction as a role model.
Public perceptions of police will also alter i f the rate of
women in executive functions is at least 25%, as women
use other competencies. Mixed teams in executive
functions will contribute to a more effective police
organisation, with more flexibility, and different
leadership styles.
This shows that die representation ofwomen in all levels
of the organisation is a business issue. Therefore it is
undoubtedly an important tool for police organisations
to fulfil their tasks in the most effective and professional
way and to function as a respectable European police
organisation.
Safe-guarding and improve position ofwomen
Finally, the position ofwomen still has to be the subject
for improvement in the European countries. This is
applicable for both the "new" and "old" member states
of tiie European Union. Due to the immigration flow of
the traditional orientated population, the position of
women needs not only to be guarded and observed, but
moreover certainly improved.
The Police with its monopoly on power can play a
significant role herein. The emancipation level of a
111 ENP.NL
G E T A C Q U A I N T E D :
Ann Kate Pedersen
N A M E : A N N KATE P E D E R S E N
C O U N T R Y : D E N M A R K
O R G A N I S A T I O N : N A T I O N A L D A N I S H P O L I C E
E N P F U N C T I O N : G B - M E M B E R
R A N K : S U P E R I N T E N D E N T
F U N C T I O N : L E A D E R POL ICE STATION
PRIVATE: A N N K A T E IS 5 0 YEARS O L D A N D
H A S T W O S O N S Photo:Ann KetePedereenOeft)and
Susanne Philipson, chair
Danish National Female Network.
Career:
Ann has substantial working experiences, she worked widrin theriot police unit and
criminal investigation department She also worked as specialist in matters around
sexual violence against children and has taught tiie subject.
Her tip:
Now after more than 30 years with women in the Danish police, some progress has been achieved,
but there is still a lon^ way to go before there is real equality. Lau; and ^ood personnel policy will
not be enough, quite jiindamental change in culture and attitudes are necessary and this takes time.
Her aduice to "neui" women in police is that they must toke care to become projiricnt at their profes
sion and establish a balance within their priuate life. This will make it possible to partidpate in
the cjood and exciting toslö like ; r ' •^^HsP^^HPI^SI'^sS^B
men. Only then they will get . -
JÜ11 respect.
ENP U R O P E A N N E T W O R K F P O L I C E W O M E N
countiy is almost measurable on the basis of the number
ofwomen in operational/executive functions. The police,
which ought to reflect its society, could fiinction as a role
model when at least 25% of the persons employed
within ± e operational/ executive functions are female.
The position ofwomen within police organisations is, in
everyway crucial and fundamental for die development
of a professional police service and to safe Europe!
ENP's Strategy and Mission
The ENP was founded on 23rd March 1989. The initial
aim and strategy of tills network is to promote and
empower women and at die same time to stimulate die
European pohce organisations to recruit, retain and to
offer women the necessary career development so that
the number of women in senior management/decision
maldng positions will increase.
E N P ' s credo "QUALITY T H R O U G H EQUALITY"
is translated in its mission, namely:
T H E E U R O P E A N N E T W O R I C O F P O L I C E W O M E N
C O N T R I B U T E S T O E N H A N C E T H E Q U A L I T Y A N D
E F F E C T I V E N E S S O F T H E P O L I C E SERVICES I N
E U R O P E BY I N C R E A S I N G T H E N U M B E R O F W O M E N
W I T H I N E V E R Y L E V E L O F T H E P O L I C E A N D L A W
E N F O R C E M E N T O R G A N I S A T I O N S I N E U R O P E .
Aims
The main aim of the E N P is to raise awareness of the
benefit of having more women witiiin die police botii on
operational and management/decision maldng level and
also to empower tiiose women who are already working
within die police and law enforcement organisations.
Aims translated into practice:
- To increase the number of female employees in general,
wi± a special focus on senior management positions,
- To raise die awareness on tire necessity of tiie
Management of Diversity and Gender Mainstreaming
(platforms - round table meetings, exchange of
best practices)
- Monitoring developments in regard to Gender and
Diversity
- enhancement of career development for women, by
special intemational training - seminars
Focussing on the preservation of autiienticity,
recognition of own competences, building up self
esteem, so tirat women can be leaders in tiieir own right
- professionalism of women (management and
networldng sldlls),
- fiinctioning as an information charmel (site, best
practices intemational conferences seminars etc)
- completion of surveys and research
- stimulation of initiatives for the foundation of national
networks for policewomen
- Reinforcement of die existing national police female
networks by network training
- Custom made support of die existing national police
female networks
- To raise the number of policewomen witiiin Peace
Keeping Missions
Organisational structures
The ENP was founded on 23rd March 1989. Due to
its growth die organisation became a non profit
organisation under Dutch Law in 1994. In 1996 the ENP
was officially granted tiie stams of NGO, which imphes
tiiat the ENP may designate official representatives to die
United Nations to the UN Headquarters in New York as
well as tiie UN offices in Geneva and Vienna.
The ENP acts completely independent of any
Government, political party or group and declares itself
for the fundamental values of all mankind, freedom,
justice and solidarity; in accordance witii die democratic
principles and tiie fundamental rights as laid dovm in die
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In conforming witii its constimtion tiie ENP is governed
by a General Board for the general management, the
Executive Board is responsible for the daily management
of the organisation. The Executive Board is hereby
assisted by tiie Head Office located in die Netiieriands.
Both tiie General and Executive board are composed of
representatives from Europe.
The elections for both boards talce place every two years.
On these occasions the organisations diat are already
represented either in tiie General or Executive Board are
approached for nominees. This can result in a renewal
of existing board members or ± e appointment of new
members. In addition to tills, organisations from those
countries that are not yet represented are invited to
nominate representatives for bodi boards. Individual
men or women, with or witiiout die support of tiieir
organisation, can also apply for the fiinction of country
contact person.
12 EN P.N L
EXECUTIVE & GENERAL BOARD 2009 (NOVEMBER) - 2011 EXECUTIVE BOARD Marta Fernandez Barea Patricia Stahl Caroline Pie Maria Dolores Iribarne Perez Karianne Jensen
Vice President Vice President Vice President Liaison Officer Liaison Officer
Spain Sweden Netherlands Spain Norway
Generalitat Catalunya - Mosses D'Esquadra Swedish Police Police Amsterdam-Amstelland Spanish National Police Norwegian Police
POLIS' i
From top to below:
Marta Fernandez Barea
Patricia Stahl (photo not available)
Caroline Pie
GENERAL BOARD and COUNTRY CONTACT PERSONS Sibylle Geissler Marlies Raser-Menhart Gwen Merckx Cecile Rigot Mar ia Nicola idou Ann Kate Pederson Hanne BergstrOm Veronilca Isberg Ines Karu Leena Lukala Monica Storrank Andrea Schaal Ariane Klauer I ldikó Kineses Kriszt ina Hubay Ibolya Csako Maura Lernihan Maria Rosaria D'Andrea Laura Chiesa Ausra Dovydeniene
Jurga Mickiene Tanya Antonova Stephanie Reichert Vivianne Eschenhauer Mary-Ann Gallée Mona Bergseth Walentyna Trzcinska Li'dia de Jesus Janeira Magalhaes Apoloni ja Grobin Helena Tomaceviz Lena Thor Pia Mi i l le r Olivia Derungs Christine Calderoni Tugba Ozbas Jackie Alexander
GB-member Austria Ministry of Interior Deputy GB Austria Ministry of Interior GB-member Belgium Belgian Association of Policewomen GB-member Belgium Federal Police Country Contact Cyprus Cyprus Police GB-member Denmark Danish National Police Deputy GB Denmark Danish National Police GB-member Estonia Estonian Police Board Deputy GB Estonia Estonian Police Board GB-member Finland Ministry of Interior Deputy GB Finland Ministry of Interior GB-member Germany ENP-Germany Deputy GB Germany ENP-Germany GB-member Hungary Hungarian Association of Policewomen Deputy GB Hungary Hungarian Association of Policewomen Country Contact Hungary Hungarian Association of Policewomen GB-member Ireland An Garda Si'ochana GB-member Italy Polizia Municipale Milano GB-member Italy Pol izia Municipale Casalpusterlengo-Somaglia GB-member Lithuania Ministry of Interior, Police Department Deputy-GB Lithuania Ministry of Interior, Police Department Country Contact Latvia Latvian State Police GB-member Luxembourg Grand Ducal Police Deputy GB Luxembourg Grand Ducal Police GB-member Netherlands Police Haaglanden GB-member Norway Police Directorate GB-member Poland Polish Police Chief Commander GB-member Portugal G N R GB-member Slovenia Slovenian Police Deputy GB Slovenia Slovenian Police GB-member Sweden Swedish National Police Board Country Contact Sweden Swedish National Police Board GB-member Switzerland Stadtpolizei Ziir ich Deputy GB Switzerland Stadtpolizei Zi ir ich GB-member Turkey Turkish National Police GB-member U K BAWP
From top to below:
Maria Dolores Iribame Perez
Karianne Jensen
i
ADVISORY & CONSULTIVE BODY Anita Wieman Netherlands LECD
13 I ENP.NL
From a tiny ENP - seed to a beautiful international tree text: Christine Terwiel, tekstbureau Chris Teksten
"During my 28 years in policing I have had the
privilege to undertake so many interesting challenges. Never
hindered by the glass ceiling, 1 have always had the nicest job
of the entire force". She admits that her character has
something to do with it and that the opportunities she has
had, she has had to create herself Above all she is grateful.
"LookatwhatI have had die chance to do: fiirt-
her shape die ENP and having become visible, been
asked to set up the new program "Pohce and Human
Rights" for the Council of Europe in France. Later I was
asked to come back to The Nedierlands to estabhsh the
School for Pohce Leadership of die Pohce Academy and
participate in the Dutch delegation to the Governing
Board of die European Pohce CoUege (CEPOL). Here I
had the oppormnity, together with coUeagues from
France, Sweden and the UK, to develop the action lear
ning programme TOPSPOC, die TOP Senior Pohce Of
ficers Course. Later within the Dutch pohce, I was able
to develop interesting and valuable international pro
grams. As icing on the calce I have been able to realize Pe
arls in Pohcing. This annual gathering of top level law
enforcement executives from all over the world is my big
gest dream of building an intensive worldwide network
of senior officers with an interest to malce tills world a
safer place. Peace - Police - Justice are the key words
underlining tiie goals of the Pearls initiative. I feel
privileged again that I am able to serve this kind of
important developments.
Anita Hazenberg, MA, MCM was ENP-Directorfrom iggi till
1997. This period had a strong impact on herfurther career.
Despite the lact that she herself was in noway incommoded
by the glass ceiling, she presently actively contributes in
brealdng down this phenomena. As Intemational Director
of the School for Police Leadership, she is realizingthis by
not only focusing on women and persons with an ethnic
background, but also offeringthesitting"white" men inter
national career and training perspectives. A personal inter
view with an energetic policewoman, grateful forthe
wonderful opportunities she has had, and still getting.
Enormous Intemational network
When she was asked for tiie fiinction of ENP-Director,
she had just rounded off her higher professional
education (HBO). She graduated on the subject of the
various factors influencing policy development in
pohcing. "My tiiesis addressed also female networks".
Therefore die ENP-fimction matched peifectiy and above
aU it added the international component. "EspeciaUy the
enormous network I built up was of extreme importance.
In each country either I loiow people or people laiow me,
significant to simphfy cooperation. In tiie six years tiiat
I was able to work for the ENP, you could say tiiat tiie
international seed was sown. In the meantime it has
grown to become a beautifiil and abundant tree. "I have
come to love tills work, establishing new initiatives,
coUaborating, building up trust, bringing people
together, I see it as the constant factor, a land of ±read
in my career".
A building function
She speal<s about the ENP in die nineties. "It was truly a
building up fiinction, lots needed to be estabUshed.
At that time we had no internet or e-mail. Two persons
formed the secretariat We did everytiiing: thinldng about
die strategy, putting it into effect, deliberating witii tiie
board, giving lecmres, PR, advising networks in otiier
countries and malang sure tiiat finance was properly dealt
witii. This small group was in fact die spider in the web in
buildingup aU other policewomen's networks in Europe".
From a Dutch organization to a European networl<
During tliis period die ENP managed to acliieve a lot.
"We made important steps for the ENP. I was stiU
appointed by a Dutch board. However i f you truly want
to be a European network for women, you need to have
a European board. That is one of the first things we
accomplished. When you consider diat die Dutch
government was financing our organization, this was
quite exciting. Nowadays women from aU over Europe
are involved within the ENP, a wonderfiil development".
UN World conference on Women in China
"What I am particularly proud of, is ± a t we as women
united and were present at the U N World Conference on
Women in China. There, we particularly asked attention
for pohcewomen around die world who were tackhng
violence against women. This resulted m multi-
disciphnary missions. As such we visited, witii a ntixed
delegation, several women centers in Russia. Not only
did we visit with a specialist of the vice squad, but for
example, also with a gynecologist or somebody from
women rehef works. We dierefore were able to meet on
die spot witii people from other disciphnes, dius putting
them in touch at the same tune. Recentiy I saw tiiat one
of the Russian women, who at that time was settmg up a
telephonic rescue hne for women, has been nommated
for an award. That is so nice to see!".
Facts and figures
She is also very proud of die bi-aimual conferences and
die publication Facts and Figures which came out on
those occasions. "It was a pubhcation which supplied
information on the position ofwomen within European
countries. In an era with when tiiere was no internet,
we managed to be the source of loiowledge for a
considerable length of time when it came to the position
ofwomen in die different European countries".
Achieved much, but the glass ceiling is still there
The ENP gave pohcewomen the feeling that they were not
standing alone. Many things that we at present talce for
granted were combated. Such as worldng part-time, the
possibihty to apply for aU fimctions or shnply dressing
rooms forwomen. However we have notyet broken down
the glass ceiling totally. The Dutch Minister of die Interior
Ter Horst made a brave step in 2008 when she said: "I see
no other possibility to brealc down the glass ceiling than by
fixing target figures". But much more is taldng place, the
cooperative program "Pohtietop Divers" focuses among
odiers on die career perspectives of die sitting "white" men.
I myself am actively involved by searchmg for intemational
work opportunities and mtemships. New perspectives are
offered at a time when management development is also
about to change. As the pohce top fimctions will form part
of the general governance department whereby mter-
national experience is an unportant condition, we are
actually agam paving the road for die fiiture.
Professional support gender mainstreaming
On die question whetiier she has a golden tip for the ENP,
she answers:
"My aduice to the ENP is: obtain a visible identity towards the
support o/Jragile states. Here there is a great demand for women
who as a law enforcement projessional, can support both the
issue of gender mainstreaming, an effccriue approach on violence
against women and children and supporting the building oJ
democratic governmental structures. In doing so, making an
important contribution to a substantial development and at the
same time creating unique career possibilities for women".
151 ENP.NL
From brawn to brain - from hired hands to hired heads?
ENP by Anna-Lena Barth - Swedish Police and former ENP president
R O P E A N N E T W O R K P O L I C E W O M E N
You are the new Chief of Police. You have been given
the opportunity to fulfil your vision and your ideas.
You have unlimited resources (money is no object),
a police station filled with whateveryou desire in terms of
equipment and latest technology and the personnel
(both officers and civilians) of your choice. Life is good.
1^
Then you wake up to a world of political
demands, budget cuts, lack of staff, recruiting and
retention problems - not to mention ah the equipment
diat should have been replaced ages ago. And you reahse
tills is not a nightmare but reality and it's your job to
malce die most of it.
Anotiier reality is that tiie personnel cost is usuahy more
tiian 80% of your budget. It is amazing, at least to me,
the way we sometimes mishandle this large percentage
of our budget.
A modern responsive pohce service needs die range of
viewpoints and experiences that only a balanced
workforce can supply. Untapped potential and loss of
expertise is a waste of resources. The minimum
replacement cost of an ofBcer after a five-year investment
in developing slohs is approximately € 40.000,-.
The composition of tiie police should be a reflection of
the society they are serving. Tills imphes that women and
men of different ethnic, culmral and social backgrounds
and experiences must be represented in die pohce service
to the same extent as they are in the society. Pohce work
is still one of the most stereotypical masculine, white
male occupations.
The competitive reality is diat organisations which are
bogged down on issues of race, gender, age, sexual
preferences, looks and so on wih encounter serious
problems. Intelhgence is normaUy distributed. It is not
the preserve of usually white, 45-year-old males.
The police service has to be a modern, dynamic and
effective organisation and, consequentiy, an attractive
employer. We also have to act and tiiink in new ways to
continue to be the experts on fighting crime.
Furthermore, we have to reduce die gap between the
pohce and die pubhc by getting a better representation
of society as a whole.
Since 50% of the population is women, the number of
women entermg die pohce service must increase. It is a
fact that women generaUy are grossly under-represented
in die police and ± is fact is even more apparent in the
higher ranks and managerial positions.
In a democratic society, tiie government has legislated
about equality and die pohce service is die body that
upholds and enforces the law. If the pohce have problems
foUowing the law, who wiU? Judging the democracy fi'om
that perspective, we are in deep trouble.
If you want to attract women, then the climate in the
organisation must be positive to balancing work and
family hfe. Women do bring their bodies and
reproduction system widi tiiem and a modern
management must acloiowledge that. It's stih
it; I
astonishing that a woman being pregnant is loolced
upon as a big surprise. Where do you diinic future
pohcemen come from? They also have a mum you loiow.
Overcommg insdmtionalised neglect of women widiin
the criminal justice system - as victims, offenders or
professionals - is a priority to which a great deal of
±ought ought to be directed.
hiequahty between men and women - also in the sharmg
of power and decision maldng at aU levels - needs to be
addressed more seriously. It is clear diat a great deal of
work stih needs to be done to bring about changes in
attitudes and behaviour within the police towards
women. Additionally, more commitment is necessary
- both internationaUy and nationahy - to human rights.
(UNSCR1325)
The pohce services are facing problems in recruiting and
retention, especially in the western world where the
population is getting older and more and more women
choose not to have children. Youngsters are not
interested in staying in one job as we have done.
If we don't offer attractive and fulfihing jobs, we will
have an even bigger problem than we have today.
We make decisions today that will affect the police of
tomorrow. We have to stop being short-sighted and
focus 10-20-30 years ahead and ask ourselves:
• What Idnd of young people are we looldng for then?
What sldUs wih be required?
• What kind of crunes and crimmals wiU we be facing?
• What Idnd of society are we facing?
The people we are trying to recruit are people with
integrity, people who are mamre, dependable and
responsible. StiU, once they are out of the academy we
monitor them as i f diey were children. Do we acmally
recruit the wrong people or are we, as leaders, managers
or supervisors, in the wrong?
They are also die same people who malce good parents.
Being a responsible parent is hard, when you have to
choose between work and parenthood. How come that
we are not very supportive when it comes to balancing
work and family life? Why do we insist and hang on to
these fixed shifts hlce diere is no tomorrow.
There are researches which show diat small and medium
organisations are tire ones that benefit most from family
friendly policies (the reaUy big ones are stih not tiiat
vulnerable). According to the researches you can see a
reduction in temporary sicloiess and improvement when
it comes to retention, higher morale, more commitment
and a better quality overaU. These changes take some
time though, but the benefits will definitely outweigh die
costs.
Successfiil intelhgent management is characterised by
ENP E U R O P E A N N E T W O R K
OF P O L I C E W O M E N
the abihty to transform mdividual competence into a
coUective competence. This increases die value of the
organisation. The pohce service depends totahy on die
individual employees and the question of success or
failure is directiy connected witii the development of
staff
In a modern organisation, 70 to 80 percent of what
people do is now done by way of their inteUects.
The critical means of production is smaU, grey and
weighs around i , 3 Idlograms. It is die human brain and
it is controUed - for better or worse - by the individual.
Your most critical resources wear shoes and wah< out of
the door around five o'clock every day. As a result, your
management and leadership are keys to success or
failure.
There is a major mmd-shift gomg on. In the brain-based
society, perception is aU. If we cannot capmre the
attention of the pubhc or employees, we are out Today
information flows freely. You can't avoid i t And it also
creates total transparency: People with access to
mformation are begmning to chaUenge any type of
authority. The smpid, loyal and humble employee or
citizen is dead.
Here is Winnie-the-Pooli,
coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump,
on the bade of his head, behind Christopher Robin.
It is, as far as he Icnows - the only way of coming downstairs.
But sometimes he feels that there really is another way,
If only he could stop bumping for a moment to think of it.
And then he feels that perhaps there isn't...
This book aimed at children is a fountain of wisdom.
To me - this dilemma describes the pohce organisation
trying to adapt to a changing world but really doesn't
loiow how. The pressure is increasing. We are told to
speciahse, be cost-efficient and more effective.
But change is not friction-free - many of those in
command of die present system wih tight back. The old
does not give in to the new without resistance.
The principles are the same tiiough. Change is not
automatic - it must be created by individual
entrepreneurs. In contrast - we are not very good at
creation. Our societies are not built for it. Our
organisations are not designed for i t And most people
arenottramedforit
Innovation requires experuxientation. Experiments
are rislcy. We can succeed or fah. The trouble is that
traditional organisations are not the most forgiving of
environments. In many of them failure carries the
corporate equivalent of the deatii penalty. The signal is
that failure is punished. This not only stops people from
faüing - it stops them from trying. If it were not for
ah the fools trying to do die knpossible - over and over
again - we would stih be living in caves. The only way
not to fail is not to try. And try we must. No failures;
no development
Europe has chosen to co-operate on a number of levels
and subjects, which have been made visible through
various treaties and agreements between our countries.
In order to strengtiien and develop international pohce
co-operation in a more effective way you need personal
contacts. They are a necessary condition in order to malce
die formal systems work as intended. International
co-operation is, dierefore, not merely a matter of solving
cross-border crimes but also of smdying and learning
from each other's solutions in a joint effort to
comprehend the development on which we are so
dependent
As a police officer it is absolutely essential in today's
society to have international contacts in order to broaden
your professional outiook on work-related issues.
Networldng (botii mixed and single sex) is positive and
needs to be encouraged. Men only and mixed
networldng occurs automatically, but tiie same is not
Orue for women only. Oppormnities must tiierefore
be created for women to get toge±er without becoming
uncomfortable in a culmre that frequentiy seeks to
question tiie benefits.
Pursuing other routes tiian the most traveUed can prove
wortiiwhile. After all, Viagra was discovered when
scientists were looldng to develop a drug to reheve high
blood pressure.
18 I EN P.N L
19 I ENP.NL
G E T A C Q U A I N T E D :
Ragnhild Engen
N A M E :
C O U N T R Y :
O R G A N I S A T I O N :
R A N K :
R A G N H I L D E N G E N
N O R W A Y
P O L I C E O S L O
DETECTIVE I N S P E C T O R
P R E S E N T F U N C T I O N : C R I S I S & H O S T A G E N E G O T I A T O R A N D D I A L O G U E P O L I C I N G
E N P F U N C T I O N : EXECUTIVE B O A R D M E M B E R T I L L N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9
PRIVATE: R A G N H I L D IS 3 5 A N D M O T H E R O F T W O C H I L D R E N
Career:
13 years ago Ragnhild entered the Norwegian police. She started her career in die Patrol
unit foUowed by the dog patrol unit. After having attended die Pohce Academy she
made a switch m her career. At present she is worldng at the Organized Crime Unitm
Oslo.
Jobs motivation:
She hl<es to work on communication. She is convinced that effective communication/
dialogue has a positive influence on solving most conflicts. Besides it is crucial to
ft)ster confidence and trust between die society and the police.
Her view on ENP:
She emphasizes the importance of the ENP In this network she met so many
ambitious and professional women. She experienced this as a booster to work even
harder in her organisation on die issue worldng conditions for women.
Her tip:
"Based upon her experiences she jinds it important to be aware of the differences between men and
women. At the start of their career women try hard to act like men. Forgetting that especially the
differences make us complete. Therefore It is indispensable to support each other when worldng at
male dominated places in order to preserve authenticity".
ENP E U R O P E A N N E T W O R K
OF P O L I C E W O M E N
Police...
by Anita Wieman - Hesterman - Advisor to ENP - European Network of Policewomen
Anita Wieman-Hesterman has gained substantial
worldng experiences in trade and industry both in the
Netherlands and abroad. In 2000 she added an other
chapterto her career by acceptingthe ENP function
as policy advisor. In spite the fact that from 2005
she is employed by the Dutch police organisation
LECD (National Expertise Centre on Diversity -
portfolio intemational cooperation & appointed
as Project-Manager to the support group EDPOL
(European Diversity in Policing) she still is the
driving force behind ENP.
In this article Anita Wieman gives you an insight
on the challenges, blocl<s, opportunities and her
working experiences to further professionalise and
sustain a European networic.
Police... only loiew tliem from getting a fine for
wrong parking or even worse speed checks.
But in 2000 an employment advertisement of the ENP
drew my attention.
Before applying I gained information on die ENP and got
mterested tireir organisational aims. In my career I never
drought about male dommance, unequal treatment etc.
but letting my worldng experiences pass in review... yes
many mechanism that I took for granted were placed in
different perspectives. So becoming curious I accepted
dre fiinction of Pohcy advisor within the ENP.
When I started, the ENP was in a very difficult phase.
The Dutch Ministry of Interior decided after a period of
twelve years not to prolong tiieir subvention. I surely
could understand tiieir decision as indeed the ENP is a
European network and therefore should be shouldered
by die European pohce organisations and/or responsible
Ministries. However that could not wave aside tiiat it
placed die network in an extteme precarious situation.
For me it was chahenging!
I started to b o ± reorganise die entire office, reducing
costs as much as possible and exploring new fimding
possibilities to secure the fiirther existence of tiie
network.
But even more important I first had to find my way in
an entire new fascinating world... tiie pohce.
Dutch police...
20 I ENP.NL