FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, MOSUL, Iraq - A group of Iraqi policemen completed basic recruit training at the Mosul Public Service Academy in Mosul April 8.
The class displayed their new training with fervor. They demonstrated the techniques of clearing a building, detaining suspects and collecting evidence. A group performed a hand-to-hand combat demonstration, broke blocks with bare hands and showed how to properly escort valuable personnel.
These men are already employed by the Iraqi Police, making this graduation a little bit different. They attended the school to fulfill a directive that was issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior in January that required them to complete the training within a designated timeframe. The training was more of a review for the men because they were already Iraqi policemen.
"Getting to shoot, cleaning your weapon, figuring out how to take your weapon apart and putting it back together, it's all reinforcement training," said Maj. Christopher L'heureux, the team chief of the Ninewah Provincial Police Transition Team and a native of Woonsocket, R.I. "They come out with a sense of accomplishment, whether it's repetitive or not."
L'heureux said that the police force was put on a hiring freeze until the training had been completed. Once the bar is lifted, recruits will enter the force only after they have completed the training, improving the capabilities of the IP.
Transition teams throughout Ninewah province are working with the IP to gain control of security within Mosul and establish an effective criminal justice system, said L'heureux.
"I want them to take charge of the security in the city," L'heureux said. "We aren't going to transition from war to peace without the police taking over the role of security."
The IP are hired from within Ninewah province, much like local law enforcement in the United States. Understanding the 'friendly neighborhood police officer' mentality will open the doors of trust for the IP, giving them the capabilities to stand up a strong criminal justice infrastructure.
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