Today, over ninety police officers from Uruzgan and thirty-five police officers from Helmand province started a course of instruction at the police training centre in Tarin Kowt. The course will take eight weeks to complete.
The Uruzgan group consists of the entire Chora district police force. They will receive instruction in patrolling, the use of firearms and interacting with the local population. For many, this is the first time they have ever received any police training.
Two groups have already completed the course: officers from two other Uruzgan districts, Tarin Kowt and Deh Rawood. The American training programme will provide each district with a better trained and equipped police unit.
The officers are being instructed by a team of Afghan, Australian and European trainers. After completing the course, the officers return to their own district, where they are supervised by a Dutch police team. If necessary, the Dutch mentors ensure that the freshly qualified Afghan officers get a chance to put what they have learned into practice.
The training is an important part of the Dutch contribution to the European police mission EUPOL, which aims to improve the quality of the police in Uruzgan, as well as safety and security in the province.
