My first glimpse of Afghanistan
Constable Annie Lacroix (right) accompanied
by Sargeant Michel Boisvert (left) from the
Montreal police service
Cst. Annie Lacroix, Canadian Civilian Police
Today was the first time I left the confines of Camp Nathan Smith since I arrived two weeks ago. I was part of a motorcade off to visit Afghan police headquarters in Kandahar, dressed in full gear... half military, half police. Protection was a must.
As we drove away from the base, I got my first glimpse of Afghanistan. Upon entering the city, I was surprised to see streets bustling with people and vehicles – downtown was a busy place! We arrived at a guard house where officers from the Afghan National Police (ANP) greeted and motioned us through. At police headquarters, my colleagues and I, accompanied by our interpreter, exited our vehicle and made our way to the Forensic Identification Division. The men there had warm handshakes and smiles for us... myself included! Surprised and pleased, I returned the greeting and stumbled through a few words of Pachto, which based on their reaction was not half-bad.
They served us tea as we talked about different issues and the next forensic identification course to be given at the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team’s training centre. I suggested a female police officer take the course, explaining it would be helpful in acquire evidence from women subjects, out of respect for their culture and religion.
The division commander agreed. We then had to confirm with the captain in charge of the female officer contingent, who said he had the perfect candidate (Update on January 8: The female officer actually started and completed the forensic identification course, even though she had some challenges attending the course because she was a woman.)
Unfortunately, I was unable to meet any female police officers that day. They were off in order to prepare for the Eid al-Adha religious holiday. I asked the investigations commander a few questions about when they would be back. He, in turn, asked when we would be returning. It is impossible to say, because we ourselves find out only at the last minute, for security reasons.
A few hours later, we made our way back to Camp Nathan Smith. The streets were just as jam-packed as when we’d first arrived – street peddlers, market stalls, children playing with whatever they found in the street... Another world, another time. It was a great morning.
Happy New Year!
