Ramallah - The European Union's Police Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support (EUPOL COPPS) is facing limitations, frustrations and challenges, the outgoing head of the unit said Monday.

Speaking to reporters as he ended his term of duty, Colin Smith expressed disappointment that the Palestinian police his unit trains is not able to pursue criminals throughout the West Bank.

"Criminals move in areas A, B and C of the West Bank and in Israel while the Palestinian police cannot move freely in these areas," he said.

Palestinian police can operate in area A, which includes the cities that are under full Palestinian control, and sometimes in area B, which includes hundreds of villages, only after coordinating with the Israeli army, but never in area C, which includes the open and uninhabited areas of the West Bank.

"Their capability is going to always be restricted," Smith pointed out.

The EUPOL COPPS, established in August 2007 with a 55 million-dollar budget to rebuild the Palestinian police force dismantled by Israel in the last several years, is also frustrated when equipment ordered for the Palestinian police gets rejected or delayed, Smith said.

"It is always difficult to bring in equipment," he explained. "The EU has many rules and also Israel has many rules. Delay is extremely frustrating."

Smith said his unit has been able to train hundreds of police officers in matters such as keeping public order, fighting corruption, combatting drug trafficking and organized crime, and has helped to rebuild and equip 38 police stations throughout the West Bank with computers, radios, anti-riot gear and police vehicles and motorcycles.

He said however his unit is understaffed and has not enough funds to meet all demands. Nonetheless, the EU has extended mission operation until the end of 2010.

At least 7000 Palestinian police officers work in the West Bank and another 12,000 operated in the Gaza Strip until the Islamic Hamas movement seized control of the Strip in June 2007.

The Palestinian Authority ordered the Gaza police to stay home and continue to receive their salary and not to cooperate with the Hamas government. (dpa)