The Climate of Trust Seminar in Saint Petersburg

On May 24-26, 2007, Phase II seminar of the Climate of Trust program was conducted in St. Petersburg.

Participants of the seminar included officers of the Main Office of the Interior of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast and the Main Office of the Interior of the Northwestern Federal District, judges of the St. Petersburg City Court, leaders of community organizations and ethnic diasporas of St. Petersburg, as well as representatives of the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, and San Francisco's Public Defender's Office.   

At the wreath-laying ceremony

The goal of the seminar was to extend the dialogue between Russian and American law enforcement that started while the Russian delegates were in the U.S. in February-March 2007.

At the seminar, participants discussed the issues of cooperation between law enforcement and community organizations aimed at counteracting different forms of extremism. The Russian and American delegates also shared their knowledge and expertise in preventing extremism and extremist crimes.

The seminar was held in the Cultural Center of the Main Office of the Interior of St. Petersburg and Leningradskaya Oblast. After discussing the issues of counteracting extremism, the American delegates toured the Police Museum of St. Petersburg and visited one of St. Petersburg's police stations, where they learned about the character of police work today. Participants of the seminar also visited the St. Petersburg City Court and a mosque.

The Americans took part in the wreath-laying ceremony in honor of Russian police officers who died in the line of duty protecting peace and order. The Head of the Main Office of the Interior of St. Petersburg and Leningradskaya Oblast, General Piotrovskiy and command staff of other law enforcement agencies took part in that ceremony along with officers of the Ministry of Extraordinary Situations and the Federal Penal Enforcement Service (FSIN), representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, veterans of law enforcement, and the community. At the ceremony, Lieutenant Dan Mahoney of the San Francisco Police Department made a speech on behalf of the American delegation.

The American delegation included Lt. Daniel Mahoney, Head of Hate Crimes Unit, San Francisco Police Department; Inspector Milanda Moore, Special Investigations Division, Hate Crimes Unit, San Francisco Police Department; Linda Klee, Assistant District Attorney, Head of the Administrative Division, San Francisco District Attorney's Office; Stephen Rosen, Deputy Public Defender, San Francisco; and Suzie Ferrell, Deputy, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.