In an attempt to reduce target killings, US trains 28 Sindh police officers
Trained officers are expected to pass on training to 300 other colleagues.
KARACHI:
The federal interior minister may believe blocking cellular services can control target killers but the United States government decided that training officers may be a better option.
Sindh Police has partnered with the US government to offer advanced training to 28 officers, which will equip them to fight crime in the city.
The two-week joint training was provided by the Justice Department’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Programme (ICITAP) and the State Department’s Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
According to the justice department’s website, ICITAP works with governments “to develop professional and transparent law enforcement institutions that protect human rights, combat corruption, and reduce the threat of transnational crime and terrorism”.
While speaking at the concluding ceremony of the programme on Friday, US Consul-General Michael Dodman said that citizens depose more confidence in a well-trained police force. “This will encourage the police and communities to work together in maintaining the rule of law, which in turn is an important ingredient in promoting business and opportunity for the people of Sindh.”
Additional IG Falak Khursheed said that these police officers will in turn train another 300 officers in the province. Ten modules have been prepared, each of which will be attended by 30 officers. The first module is expected to start in January 2013. “Officers will really benefit from these advanced training courses and similar programmes will be launched across training centres all over Sindh.”
Another US official present on the occasion said that the officers will also train new police recruits. Other courses will also soon be introduced, he added.
The officers did not just sit in a classroom all the time, but used advanced technology in a practical setting, informed DIG Khaliq Sheikh. There were officers who had never used Microsoft Powerpoint before, but they were able to give a presentation before the end of the programme. Certificates were also awarded at the end.
The newly trained officers said that they learnt a lot during the two-week programme, and added that they will try their best to impart that to their colleagues. “We feel that we will be able to bring on a change, as the police force is directly linked to citizens,” said a participant.
Beside senior US diplomats, former additional IG Ali Akbar, former Karachi Police chief Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui, DIG Training Commandant Shaukat Ali Shah and Larkana DIG Abdul Khaliq Sheikh were also present.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2012.
The federal interior minister may believe blocking cellular services can control target killers but the United States government decided that training officers may be a better option.
Sindh Police has partnered with the US government to offer advanced training to 28 officers, which will equip them to fight crime in the city.
The two-week joint training was provided by the Justice Department’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Programme (ICITAP) and the State Department’s Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
According to the justice department’s website, ICITAP works with governments “to develop professional and transparent law enforcement institutions that protect human rights, combat corruption, and reduce the threat of transnational crime and terrorism”.
While speaking at the concluding ceremony of the programme on Friday, US Consul-General Michael Dodman said that citizens depose more confidence in a well-trained police force. “This will encourage the police and communities to work together in maintaining the rule of law, which in turn is an important ingredient in promoting business and opportunity for the people of Sindh.”
Additional IG Falak Khursheed said that these police officers will in turn train another 300 officers in the province. Ten modules have been prepared, each of which will be attended by 30 officers. The first module is expected to start in January 2013. “Officers will really benefit from these advanced training courses and similar programmes will be launched across training centres all over Sindh.”
Another US official present on the occasion said that the officers will also train new police recruits. Other courses will also soon be introduced, he added.
The officers did not just sit in a classroom all the time, but used advanced technology in a practical setting, informed DIG Khaliq Sheikh. There were officers who had never used Microsoft Powerpoint before, but they were able to give a presentation before the end of the programme. Certificates were also awarded at the end.
The newly trained officers said that they learnt a lot during the two-week programme, and added that they will try their best to impart that to their colleagues. “We feel that we will be able to bring on a change, as the police force is directly linked to citizens,” said a participant.
Beside senior US diplomats, former additional IG Ali Akbar, former Karachi Police chief Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui, DIG Training Commandant Shaukat Ali Shah and Larkana DIG Abdul Khaliq Sheikh were also present.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2012.