New police station opens in Marjah

AFGHANISTAN

09.07.2010

Story by Lance Cpl. Jeremy Fasci 

Regional Command Southwest

MARJAH DISTRICT, Afghanistan – The Afghan Uniformed Police in Marjah District, Helmand province, Afghanistan, opened their first police station, Sept. 5.

The ribbon cutting ceremony marked the progression of a district that did not have a police force only four months ago.

“This station will help the AUP be more able to complete their job,” said Governor Abdul Mutalab, the district governor of Marjah.

The structure is a temporary set of tents and reinforced barriers designed to protect the officers and provide work areas. The station is equipped with living quarters, offices and holding cells.

Establishing a police station is a milestone for the burgeoning police force, but it’s just the first step toward a permanent security force in the area.

A larger, improved facility is currently under construction. The need for a police station grew along with the rising number of officers. In April there were no formally trained police in the district, the number is now close to 300 officers.

The station serves a dual purpose for officers in the area. Not only can it be used as a place to work, it’s also a recruiting station. Thirty-four of the officers who graduated from the Joint Security Academy Southwest in August were the first to be recruited from Marjah.

The higher level of security will help secure the government’s hold of the district. With the construction of the police station, new schools and other government improvements for Marjah are being built.

“We have all seen the past of Marjah,” said Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills, commander of Regional Command Southwest, said during the ribbon cutting at the new police station. “Now we can see the future of Marjah, and I think that future is a happy one.”

• Date Taken: 09.07.2010
• Date Posted: 09.07.2010 14:58
• Story ID: 55853
• Location: AF