Recommendations on Policing in Multi-Ethnic Societies Elimination of Racial Discrimination) and their own national obligations (e.g. under their constitution and domestic law) to prevent discrimination on ethnic and related grounds. Provided such monitoring is carried out with due regard to confidentiality, and the data anonymised and aggregated in statistical form, the rights of individuals should not be violated. States need to ensure that they have clear policies and professional standards that require equal treatment and prohibit discrimination in the application of the law by police, and that these are supported by training and detailed codes of practice. As indicated in Recommendation 10, such codes of practice should set out precisely the behaviour that is expected of police officials in carrying out specific policing tasks, so that the risk of discriminatory or other unprofessional behaviour is minimised. In particular, they should be drawn up for any tasks where there appears to be a risk of discriminatory treatment occurring: these could include use of police powers for stopping or searching people on the street or in other public places, the control of admissions at borders, the use of force in making arrests, the conduct of police 'raids' in residential areas, and the management of ethnic conflicts and public disorder. Breaches of the codes should be subject to disciplinary action. In view of the importance in multi-ethnic societies of ensuring that police apply the law in an impartial and non-discriminatory manner, States are encouraged to consider undertaking a 'systematic assessment' of policing policy and practice generally with regard to ethnic and national minorities. 10 This assessment should measure current policing practices against international professional policing standards and the requirements of international human rights. It should be based on evidence obtained through research, analysis of incidents, and consultation with national minorities and NGOs. Action plans should be drawn up to address those areas of policing where practice falls below international standards. 17. Police should take steps to encourage the reporting by persons belonging to national minorities of crime, in order to promote community safety and access to justice. Police everywhere are highly dependent for the detection of crime on information from members of the public. There is extensive evidence from across the OSCE region that 10 As is recommended in the chapter on policing in the 0SCE Action Plan for the Improvement on the Situation of Roma and Sinti, 2003, available at http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2003/11/1562_en.pdf 33