Iraqi Police Graduate 175 From Advanced, Specialty Courses

Blackanthem.com, BAGHDAD, Iraq, September 02, 2005

The Iraqi Police Service graduated 175 police officers Sept. 1 from advanced and specialty courses at the Adnan Training Facility as part of the Iraqi government's ongoing effort to train its security forces, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq officials reported today.

The courses comprise Basic Criminal Investigations with 42 graduates, Interviews and Interrogations with 15 graduates, Violent Crime Investigation with 29 graduates, Criminal Intelligence with 27 graduates, and Election Security with 62 graduates.

The Basic Criminal Investigation course is designed to introduce participants to basic concepts of criminal investigation, covers topics such as theft, burglary, arson, robbery, sexual offenses and homicide investigation, officials said. Students receive classroom instruction and hands-on training in fingerprinting, photography, tool marks and plaster casting techniques. To date, 2,457 police officers have completed the Basic Criminal Investigations course.

The Interviews and Interrogations course covers advanced interview and interrogation techniques and includes instruction on the preservation and protection of human rights, and the importance of ethical behavior during interviews and interrogations. To date, 626 students have completed this course.

The Violent Crime Investigation course introduces participants to investigative techniques to be used in a variety of situations, but particularly in violent crimes including armed robbery, rape and murder. This course has graduated 638 students to date.

The Criminal Intelligence course provides training in the planning, collection, analysis and distribution of intelligence information. This course also equips participants with the ability to recognize trends that may have an impact on public safety and security. This course has graduated 416 students to date.

The Election Security course covers the responsibilities of the police to ensure peaceful elections. Potential threats and areas of concern are examined from the standpoint of security and protection of candidates and the voting public during the election period. To date, 446 officers have completed the course, which includes a train-the-trainer component to enable participants to serve as trainers in their respective police stations.

Officers who participated in these courses previously completed either an eight-week basic training course for new recruits or a three-week "transitional integration program" course designed for police officers currently serving, who have received little or no basic training, officials said. The police officers report back for continued duty at their respective stations immediately.

(From a Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news release. )

By American Forces Press Service