Technical Briefing on Afghanistan
Joe McAllister, Canadian Civilian Police Contingent Commander in Kandahar Province
Prior to coming here, I worked as a duty officer in Surrey B.C. I have also participated in UN missions in Kosovo and East Timor.
I’ll begin by talking about what we’re doing here in Kandahar, the impact this is having and what I have seen on the ground. I’ll close with a look at the future, and where we’re going.
Canada currently has 14 civilian and 40 military police trainers and mentors supporting Afghan National Police reform at the national, regional and provincial levels in Afghanistan.
One of Canada’s recently announced priorities in Afghanistan is to help the Afghan Government increase the Afghan National Police’s (ANP) ability to promote law and order in Kandahar province. Our priorities for civilian police in Kandahar are focussed in three areas: training, mentoring, and infrastructure and equipment support.
We’re making progress: Since 2005 when Civilian Police first started working in Kandahar Canadian civilian Police and the Canadian Forces have contributed directly to the training of more than 650 members of the ANP through the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.
Our efforts draw on decades of community policing experience back home in Canada, as well as experience from other International Missions we have been involved in. If the police are seen as a trust worthy and professional force, then the people will confide their personal security to the government and will be less likely to turn to insurgents. An effective police force is a key basic service that Kandaharis want and are looking for as a symbol of more effective governance.
As an officer, it’s exciting to see the results of our training and capacity building work– walking through communities, watching the ANP engaging with citizens – that is what this is all about. Last weekend I was on a foot patrol with six Afghan National Police officers along with members of the Canadian Forces. As part of our mentoring plan we explain to the ANP the value of foot patrols, explain the rational and methods to do them and then participate with them to validate the exercise. Though the ANP were a bit quiet at the start, they eventually took to the task with open arms. Some of the photos you’re looking at are from this patrol, and as you can see, the community is quite welcoming of these initiatives.
At the recently inaugurated PRT training centre, we teach courses aimed at supplementing the existing training the Afghan officers are getting at the regional training centers. The courses last one day to one week, and focus on a variety of skills, including police and public safety training, bodyguard training, IED awareness and combat first aid. These courses were designed to respond to the needs Afghan police face in their day to day work and their impact is tangible and immediate. Today we know that ANP that have been trained in IED awareness by us are better able to cordon off areas where IEDs are found, whereas in the past they have been tragically killed as a result of a lack of knowledge. My staff see the benefits every time they go out with the Canadian Forces Quick Reaction Force and engage with the Afghan officers they have trained and know that they are improving.
Canada has also provided funding for equipment and infrastructure through the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Our police work with Canadian Forces Special engineer Teams and local authorities to find the appropriate location for a new police station, ensure the design is suitable for Afghan police needs and to ensure it has all the right equipment and manpower to do the job.
For example, Dand District will soon see it’s district centre upgraded with new security walls and observation towers. The project will enhance the abilities of the Afghan National Police to protect the district centre – which is a significant business area in the province of Kandahar. These efforts will directly contribute to helping ensure that economic and social development can continue in this area of Kandahar province. The centre will be used in a variety of ways, extending the traditional notion of protection, including shuras (local political meetings), dispute resolution, and will even house a school.
And while I have spoken to areas of tangible progress in our priority areas, the reality is that the process of strengthening and professionalizing the ANP will take time. The police are much further behind in terms of capacity building than the Afghan National Army. We face a number of challenges in this respect — not least the overall security situation in the province, but also issues such as illiteracy among the ANP. High illiteracy rates are not unique to the ANP, but it does present challenges in training and mentoring. As police in Canada we record everything, for a police for that is largely illiterate this can be challenging. To help address this challenge, we have initiated a literacy program for police in Kandahar that will cover the entire city over the next year.
As we look forward, we will be focussing our energies on addressing these challenges in key ways.
First, on Canada Day, Ambassador Lalani announced that Canada’s Civilian Police Contingent at the PRT would be re-badged under the European Police Mission. Coupled with the arrival of 7 more Civilian Police at the PRT, this represents an important milestone in the evolution in Canada’s efforts to support police reform in Afghanistan and respond to commitments made at the Canada-EU Summit in 2007.
These two moves only serve to reinforce Canada’s capacity to deliver effective ANP training and ensures that we have the people to achieve our goals in Afghanistan.
Second, Canada is committed to supporting the roll out of the Focused District Development program in Kandahar City, and the districts of Zhari and Panjwayi. This program has been discussed in past technical briefings but essentially aims to provide the core basic training for police – they are taken out of their communities, trained and equipped and reinserted when they are mentored by Canadian CIVPOL and Canadian Forces military police officers as appropriate. To achieve this, we hope to increase the total number of civilian police officers by at least an additional ten for the early Fall.
Third, we we will be mentoring the ANP at their Provincial Headquarters and providing advice on Criminal Investigations. We work closely in this respect, and at times side by side, with US Police Mentor teams in the city. This has been a great relationship and we will continue to take advantage of this special partnership we have with our American partners.
Finally, we will continue to support police infrastructure and equipment requirements in priority districts in the province.
Looking ahead, clearly we have a lot of work to do. Canada is optimistic that by 2011 the ANP will demonstrate an increased capacity to promote law and order in key districts of Kandahar. That’s achievable with the current pace that we’re ramping up towards now.
