Afghan Local Police transition into the Afghan National Police in Shahid-e-Hasas

URUZGAN, AFGHANISTAN

07.04.2011

Story by Spc. Ashley Bowman 

NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan

URUZGAN, Afghanistan – Twenty members of the Afghan Local Police have transitioned to the Afghan National Police force in the Shahid-e-Hasas District of Uruzgan province, July 4.

After the recent visit of District Gov. Salam Jan for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new district governance center, the Shahid-e-Hasas chief of police announced that twenty new ANP slots would be allocated for the district and that he would fill them with ALP members.

"These men are highly trained and capable of providing great service to the Afghan people with their service in the Afghan Local Police," said the district chief of police. "They will continue to improve the security and stability of our villages as members of our national police force.”

The Afghan Ministry of Interior developed the ALP program as a village-focused initiative to support counterinsurgency efforts by focusing on rural areas where Afghan National Security Forces were initially limited, according to MoI officials.

District officials said the ALP program has enabled local communities in Shahid-e-Hasas to enhance security while allowing local citizens to develop community policing skills which makes them suitable for continued service in the ANP.

"This transition is an important step for the ALP program and long term unity of the Shahid-e-Hasas District," said a coalition special operations team leader. "People in this area are becoming directly connected to the Afghan government, which is a step in the right direction."

Afghan Local Police are selected by village elders and the local shura to provide protection from insurgents and other hostile forces threatening their villages. The program is connected to all levels of the government of Afghanistan and is administered by the Afghan Ministry of Interior and local district police staff.

• Date Taken: 07.04.2011
• Date Posted: 07.07.2011 04:23
• Story ID: 73331
• Location: URUZGAN, AF