ISAF trains with Afghan National Police

KUNDUZ, AFGHANISTAN

10.07.2010

Story by Pfc. Cynthia Teears Van Cleve 

1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

By Pfc. Cynthia S. Teears Van Cleve

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan -- The Afghan National Police and members of the International Security Assistance Force attended a class in law enforcement training together at the ANP’s 2nd Precinct in Kunduz, Afghanistan, Sept. 28.

The ISAF members, who are not trained police officers, asked Military Professional Resources Incorporation to step in with Law Enforcement Professionals, two contracted security instruction companies.

Soldiers of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, from the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, work with an instructors of LEP and MPRI to learn the law enforcement training along with their ANP counterparts.

“All the LEP personnel aren't doing the same thing,” said Dave Goodman, one of the instructors. “There are some guys down south that are conducting improvised explosive device investigations, it all depends on unit needs.”

Goodman is retired from the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Sgt. 1st Class Alexander Arce, a military police officer with Headquarters Company, 1-87, also helps with the classes and was a police officer before joining the military.

"I got here in March," Arce said. "It didn't really kick off 'til he got here in April."
To start the class all the Afghan police gathered with the Soldiers outside in an open courtyard and introductions began.

The instructors covered different aspects of how to conduct a search and the differences between the rules about searching in the United States.

"We share our experiences with you, and you share your experiences with us," Arce said. "That way we all, hopefully, get something out of it."

Each of the instructors gave a 30 minute class with some discussion about what goes into searching a vehicle and searching people.

"Today we're going to talk about check points," Goodman said. "In regard to that, how to search vehicles and how to search personnel."

Roughly 15 Afghan police were present at the precinct and participated in the class.

"The point – it's our responsibility to treat the general public as you would want to be treated," Goodman said. "The majority of people that we are going to be dealing with are honest citizens and we need to treat them as we want to be treated."

Discussion was encouraged during the class as long as everyone was able to listen and understand with the help of an interpreter.

"When can you search a vehicle or a person, anybody?" asked Goodman.

"Anytime he looks or it looks suspect," a member of the ANP responded.

Giving examples of the differences between the two countries, Goodman listed reasons a police officer in the United Syayes can conduct a search.

"A search warrant gives you the right to search," Goodman said. "Putting someone under arrest, you have the right to search them for your protection and the protection of those around you."

Early on during the classroom discussions Goodman pointed out one type of search that many do habitually, but don't always realize it.

"A visual search, you're not asking them to do anything," Goodman said. "You're just looking."

Goodman also discussed the difference between pulling over a respectable citizen and dealing with someone that is being arrested.

"If someone is a criminal, I like to chase them down and give them a Superman tackle," Goodman said. "There's a switch from mister friendly police officer, to reach for the sky we are going to jail. We treat people as our friends until they prove not to be. If we treat everybody like criminals they are not going to trust us and they're not going to help us."

The ANP discussed the instruction after the class and said it was very informative.

"Today we had a class teaching about speaking with people of the community," said Arif, a member of the ANP in Kunduz. "We learn everything from your Soldiers. We've been shown everything clearly."

The classes are helpful to the ANP to learn different techniques so they are able to change their strategies for different situations.

"This is a benefit for us," Arif said. "The information and the training, this was a good opportunity so we can ask our questions. This training benefits us so much and we profit from this kind of training too."

• Date Taken: 10.07.2010
• Date Posted: 10.11.2010 11:15
• Story ID: 57898
• Location: KUNDUZ, AF