MOSUL, Iraq - U.S. military forces and State Department advisors began an Iraqi Police "train the trainer" program this month on Forward Operating Base Diamondback, Mosul, Iraq, that will set up Iraqi Police for future success.
The program seeks to better the instruction that new recruits receive by teaching Iraqi Police instructors new techniques and skill sets that they can pass on to their trainees.
"The purpose of the program is to improve the quality of the instructors that are currently instructing at the Mosul Public Service Academy," said Capt. Jose Molina, Effects Trainer for the Ninewah Provincial Police Transition Team, "and hopefully we can improve their teaching techniques and skills so that they can in turn teach the rest of the Iraqi Police."
The course brings a select group of instructors on to FOB Diamondback, away from the distractions of work and family so they can solely concentrate on their training.
While on the FOB, these Iraqi Police instructors are getting training in things that they had never before been trained in. The course teaches these instructors crime scene investigation techniques, range control, community policing, and patrolling.
"We start with basic patrol techniques going all the way into advanced techniques like felony stops and felony searches, we discuss different types of patrol and how to conduct them safely," said Carl Jonkers, an adviser with the Civilian Police Transition Team.
During the crime scene investigations portion of the course the Iraqi Police instructors walk through a mock crime scene. During this exercise they are taught how to handle, collect, and examine everything from fingerprints to blood spatter.
"We also have a community-oriented police class, which teaches them not only how to interact with the community, but how to interact with different parts of the community, how to elicit information from people, and also gain the public's trust and let them understand that they are there to serve the public," Jonkers continued.
Jonkers and his team also conduct a criminal investigations class, which goes from investigating basic crimes, through case management, and even testifying in front of a judge. Through this class instructors are taught on how to collect and document evidence at a crime scene, and how to properly conduct interrogations.
The Civilian Police Transition Team is dedicated to teaching this group of instructors everything they need to know to be successful trainers.
"There is no specific length to this course," said Jonkers. "What we are going to make sure is that these instructors understand everything."
Once the course is complete the Civilian Police Transition Team plans to bring in eight new students who will be taught by the newly trained Iraqi Police instructors under the U.S. transition team's supervision. The future is bright for these Iraqi Police as they work diligently to better train the police force to enhance their ability to safe guard the city of Mosul.
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