Numbers increase for Ramadi Police Force

Blackanthem Military News, RAMADI, Iraq, April 12, 2006 13:48

Approximately 320 Iraqi Police Officers arrived safely at the Jordan International Police Training Center (JIPTC), Jordan, on April 11, 2006.

Known as the Sons of Al Anbar, these 320 Iraqi males completed their IP screening process in early April in order to secure their futures, and help establish a strong police force in Ramadi; a former insurgent stronghold.

The Iraqi Police recruiting program is overseen by the Ministry of Interior of Iraq (MOI). The selected IP Candidates will now attend an eight week Basic Training Academy at the JIPTC. Once their training is completed, most of them will return to Ramadi and provide security for their own neighborhoods.

"My brother is a former Police Officer and my uncle is currently attending the academy in Baghdad," said one of the new police officer candidates as he gathered his belonging to set foot on the bus "It is our duty to our families and our country to provide a safe and secure environment, it is important for the future of my children," he said.

Over 200 IP candidates have graduated from the police academies held at the JITC and The Baghdad Police Academy. These trained Police Officers are undergoing additional training which is designed to introduce them to patrolling the neighborhoods of Ramadi. Additionally, there are approximately 1,100 IP candidates currently enrolled at the training academies.

"Since arriving here in Ramadi I have seen first hand the tremendous growth if the Iraqi Police Force" said Maj. Ted Gates, Police Implementation Officer (PIO) for the 2nd Brigade Combat Tem of the 28th Infantry Division (2/28 BCT). "The residents of Ramadi are behind the IP program, the numbers speak for themselves, these men are true patriots," said the police officer from Prince William, Virginia.

During a recent interview at the Ramadi Government Center, AL Anbar Provincial Governor Sami Rashid Ma’moun commented that a strong Iraqi Security Force, made up of Iraqi Police and the Iraqi Army, is the key to defeating the insurgency in Ramadi.

By 2ND BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM / 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION (M)

ADDITIONAL PHOTO:

Iraqi Police candidates board one of the buses that will start them on their trip to the Jordan International Police Training Center. (U.S. Army photo)