Photo By 1st Sgt. Jessica Barnett | A delegation of law enforcement officials from the Republic of Armenia observe Kansas...... read more read more
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Five police officers from Armenian police departments visited several police stations throughout Kansas in March for a week and a half, to meet with officials about community policing.
The Armenian delegation consisted of Col. Karen Mehrabyan, deputy head of the Public Order Department of the Police, Republic of Armenia; Lt. Col. Vladimir Avagimyan, deputy head of Arabkir Police District and advisor to the National Coordinator of CP issues; Maj. Armen Doydoyan, head of the Prevention Unit, Erebuni District Police; Maj. Vardan Hovhannisyan, head of Community Police Unit, Arabkir Police Station; and Maj. Hakob Petrosyan, deputy head of Information Analysis, Planning and Supervisions Division, Headquarters, Police of the Republic of Armenia.
The visit was the result of a collaborative partnership between Kansas law enforcement institutions, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Kansas National Guard's State Partnership Program. The goal is to assist Armenia in its effort to develop a community policing program and exchange ideas with regard to law enforcement reform.
Since 2003, Kansas officials have traveled to Armenia to establish partnerships with military and civilian leaders. The State Partnership Program is coordinated by the National Guard Bureau with each U.S. state matching with a foreign counterpart. The Kansas law enforcement joined the program in 2005
The Armenian delegates met with Kansas City, Kan., officials from March 9-12. During their visit, the delegation observed a Community Policing operation in the Midtown Patrol Division. Kansas law enforcement assisted the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe by supporting them in expanding their Community Policing Project in Armenia. The Kansas City operation included many of the tools available to Community Policing officers such as the Crime Analysis Unit, Neighborhood Crime Prevention Patrol, Sheriff’s Department, probation and parole officers and the Narcotics Unit. The goal of this operation was to develop suspect information regarding individuals involved in criminal activity and to resolve issues that may be creating an environment that is conducive to criminal activity.
For their last day with the Kansas City, Kan., police department, the delegates observed police officers on duty. The Armenians were taken to a variety of incidents in the area, where they observed the officers respond to an array of incidents in the area from a homicide to conducting a vehicle search. After each incident the Armenian officers were able to ask questions about the response and understand the officers’ decision making processes.
Currently, the Armenian police focus on protecting their government instead of patrolling the streets conducting community policing. However, they want to start focusing on community policing.
"We are not patrolling in the streets, but the country's life," said Armenian Col. Karen Mehrabyan.
“In the capitol city of Armenia we have a pilot project of community policing. We learned a lot about how to arrange our goals and strategies of community policing, and what will be more applicable in Armenia,” said Mehrabyan. “We are observing and taking back the best experience that has already been developed in this country.”
“We have a number of Kansas Guardsmen who are also law enforcement officers,” said Maj. Gen. (KS) Lee Tafanelli, adjutant general. “It is my hope that we can get more of these citizen soldiers involved in this important police initiative.”
Lt. Col. James Brown, chief of the Kansas City, Kan., police department, is one of those citizen-soldiers, or in his case, citizen-airmen. Brown is a chief master sergeant with the 190th Air Refueling Wing, Kansas Air National Guard, and in April will become the state command chief master sergeant, making him the senior noncommissioned airman in the Kansas National Guard.
Brown merges his civilian and National Guard duties as law enforcement liaison with the State Partnership Program. Brown knows first-hand the importance of the program’s exchange visits, having visited Armenia on several occasions as part of the State Partnership Program.
“My past trips to Armenia have been very educational,” said Brown. “I have learned so much during my travels there, and no doubt, we’ll be learning more from these law enforcement executives during their visit, just as they will be learning from us.”
While in Kansas, the Armenians delegation also visited police departments in Overland Park, Wichita, Lawrence and Park City, as well as the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson.
| Date Taken: | 03.11.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 06.03.2011 14:55 |
| Story ID: | 71547 |
| Location: | KANSAS CITY, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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