Ministry of Interior graduates 407 community police officers in new program to build trust

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.22.2008

Courtesy Story

Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq Public Affairs

✔ ✗ Subscribe

2

By the Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq Public Affairs Office

BAGHDAD – The ministry of interior graduated 407 community police officers Monday in Baghdad from the first such course to be held. The new community policing program puts newly trained community relations police officers in every police station and other governmental offices to strengthen the Iraqi police's ties and communication with local communities.

"This new program will build bridges of trust and communication between the police and the neighborhoods they serve," said Mr. Alaa Al-Taie, director general of the ministry of interior public affairs directorate. He said the program was started at the urging of the minister of interior Jawad al Bolani "to allow the individual citizens and the police to work together to bring even greater security, stability and prosperity to Iraq."

Al-Taie said the aims of the community policing program are to stop criminal acts before they occur, encourage citizen groups to work closely with the police to eliminate crime, and to survey local citizens on their opinion of local police operations and report the results to the minister of interior.

"Having community police officers working in the neighborhoods is a requirement of a civilized society. It is a successful program in many large police forces. It was something we felt we couldn't ignore," said Al-Taie.

Minister of interior Jawad Bolani addressed the graduates of the course that was dedicated to two recent ministry of interior martyrs, Mohammed Mansoor and Mohammed Nouri. Bolani said Mansoor and Nouri were brave policemen who "gave their lives for Iraq in the line of duty in a heroic assault against the terrorists."

Bolani elaborated on the lives of these two dedicated policemen and martyrs "who gave their lives to create a stable and just society. This course will help memorialize their lives and contributions forever to a safe and free Iraq for all Iraqis."

"The community police program is a unique experience in Iraqi police history," Bolani said. "It is the essence of these policemen to develop close relations with civil society organizations." He said the community police will concentrate on police services to the public, not just security.

"It is time to change our security departments in the ministry of interior, to reshape them into tools used by ordinary citizens to guide government in the way of serving the people better," said Bolani. He said community policing is a suitable means to carry out this goal of improving communication and cooperation with the local police station.

Bolani stated the goal is to expand the community police program into every province in Iraq. He said the community police program is part of the Ministry of Interior's goal "to build trust and confidence between the Iraqi police and civilians and root out all obstacles hindering people from contacting the police or ministry of interior departments."

Bolani then turned to the graduates and told them they have a high sense of duty "to serve their citizens and be an honest tool to serve and help their society."

Baghdad provincial director of police Maj. Gen. Kadhim Sharhan thanked the ministry of interior's media and public relations directorate for preparing the graduates for this course and their service to their local communities.

Dr. Abdul Salam of Baghdad University praised the steps taken by the ministry of interior to improve relations in every community. He expressed his readiness to cooperate with the ministry to make the program successful and to provide continuing education programs for future community relations officers within the Iraqi police.