Community Safety Dialogue: when local voices determine the way forward
October 07, 2026
EUAM Ukraine continues to develop Community Safety Dialogue (CSD) as a practical approach that enables communities, police and local institutions to address safety challenges together, based on local needs and evidence.
On 30 September, the fourth CSD session in Boiarka, organised by EUAM Ukraine, moved the process from identifying local safety concerns to examining them in greater depth. Representatives of the municipality, police, education and social services, veterans and other community stakeholders explored the causes and patterns behind the issues identified during previous sessions, the groups affected and the evidence available.
The session focused on the Analysis stage of the SARA problem-solving model. Rather than moving directly to solutions, participants practised distinguishing facts from assumptions, identifying gaps in information and determining what additional evidence is needed before developing a response. This step-by-step approach helps ensure that future actions address the underlying causes of safety concerns rather than only their visible effects.
CSD is built on the principle that community safety is a shared responsibility and that sustainable solutions should be developed together with the people and institutions directly affected. International experience can offer useful approaches, but these need to be adapted to the realities and priorities of each community.
“Belgian good practices can inspire, but Ukrainian realities define the context, and local voices determine the way forward. Community safety is a shared responsibility, and it starts with dialogue,” said Nele Sczudlo, Adviser on General Policing at EUAM Ukraine.
Through CSD, EUAM provides communities with practical methodologies and facilitates cooperation among local authorities, law enforcement, public services and community representatives. In Boiarka, the process will continue with the next stage of SARA, when participants will build on the analysis developed during the session to identify and shape appropriate responses.
