KAZAKHSTAN: SAVING THE LIVES OF POLICE OFFICERS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 001324 SIPDIS DEPT FOR INL/AAE (ALTON),SCA/CEN (OMARA),DEPT OF JUSTICE (DUCOT), DUSHANBE FOR DEA SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PGOV KCRM KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: SAVING THE LIVES OF POLICE OFFICERS ¶1. Summary: INL conducted a Police Officer Survival Techniques Course on April 16-27 at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Academy in Almaty. Ten operations officers of the criminal police and 13 officers from regional anti-narcotics units participated in the course taught by personnel from the Department of Justice International Criminal Investigative Training and Assistance Program (DOJ/ICITAP.) The Academy Director and INL plan to create a cadre of Kazakhstani officers to teach the course. End summary. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. The MVD Training Center was established in 1999 and is a constituent part of the Institute for Training of Law Enforcement Management of the MVD Academy. Zholdybai Uspanov, Head of the Training Center, and other Academy experts train 20 mid-to- senior level officers from throughout Kazakhstan in the Center each month. Officers of the Border Guard Service, Committee for National Security, Customs Control Committee, and the Financial Police receive training in this Center as well. ¶3. INL Officer arranged the course on police officer defensive tactics at the Training Center of the Police Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs using instructors from the Department of Justice's International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) Office. -------------- U.S. SWAT TEAM IN KAZAKHSTAN, TEACHING... -------------- ¶4. From April 16 to 27, U.S. experts taught a two-week course on Police Officer Defensive Tactics to 23 officers at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Almaty Training Academy. The purpose of the training was to instruct law enforcement officers in specialized self-defense tactics while detaining and arresting criminal suspects. At the same time instructors ensured the arresting officers learned to use only the force appropriate to detain or arrest, thereby respecting the rights of the detained. ¶5. From the first day, the U.S. trainers' experience in SWAT teams and police operations won the recognition of the Kazakhstani officers and experts of the Training Center. The U.S. experts quickly recognized the differences between Kazakhstani and American law enforcement systems. For example, the participants shared with the American trainers that unlike in the U.S., before the arrest of a suspected drug dealer in Kazakhstan the arresting officer is required to find witnesses to monitor the arrest. (Note: To ensure the police do not simply pay lip service to this requirement the Kazakhstani Government made the arrest witness requirement very strict. The police cannot use a serial witness just to meet the letter of the law but must find different witnesses for each arrest. End note.) ¶6. The U.S. trainers presented a variety of topics including Mental Strategies for Officer Survival, the principles of conducting Field Interviews, the use of the Force Continuum Model of using only the appropriate and necessary level force for the corresponding threat. Following the presentation of material in the classroom, the officers conducted practical exercises on low, medium and high risk traffic stops and building searches. ¶7. The trainers of MVD Academy volunteered to co-teach during the Defensive Tactics Training and delivered lectures on ensuring the security of officers in the criminal detention process, detention of armed criminals in a vehicle, detention of criminals in a building, tactics of personal search, and tactics for conducting a crime investigation in a confrontational environment. -------------- ...OFFICER SAFETY - A NEW, WELCOME CONCEPT -------------- ¶8. The idea that a police force could be taught how to preserve the lives of officers who are risking their all in the line of duty struck a chord with the Kazakhstani participants. Current Kazakhstani police officer and senior law enforcement management training does not stress that police officers are valuable and should not be needlessly put at risk. ¶9. Intrigued as they were by the idea that the force or its senior management had a responsibility to protect them, in the beginning of the course the officers were reluctant to admit that they might be injured or killed while performing their everyday duty. Once the initial bravado was past, they actively interacted with the ASTANA 00001324 002 OF 002 instructors and were eager to learn the elements of self-protection such as developing the proper mental attitude, physical preparedness, proper equipment, and legal aspects. The eagerness to learn protective techniques was even more evident when participants began to recall cases when colleagues became victims of criminals. ¶10. The officers concluded that carelessness is one of the main reasons officers are wounded or killed. The participants' lack of knowledge about self-protection while conducting operations was obvious in the practical exercises on the proper methods to search individuals, vehicles, and buildings. U.S. instructors also quickly noted that some of the young officers did not practice proper firearm safety procedures and put themselves in the line of fire because of dangerous, hasty actions in risky situations. -------------- THIS WAS GREAT! SHOW US MORE! -------------- ¶11. Colonel Uspanov admitted to EmbOff that most of young officers were not well prepared for their work. The officers are too young, ambitious, and inexperienced. Uspanov requested additional sessions of the same course as well as training of trainers on the methods and tactics of combating drug trafficking, and international cooperation in the fight against drugs. (Note: Under current and future Letters of Agreement, INL Kazakhstan has several counter-narcotics officer training sessions planned for the coming months and creating a cadre of trainers to carry on the program is integral to the program. Kazakhstani co-teachers were incorporated into this training as well. The Regional DEA Agent from Dushanbe is scheduled to visit Kazakhstan in early June. End note.) -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶12. Thanks to ICITAP/DOJ's excellent selection of trainers the Kazakhstani operations officers received top-notch instruction from seasoned U.S. professionals. From the feedback and engagement of the participants Post assesses that the two-week training opened the minds of the Kazakhstani officers to the idea that the life of a police officer is important and the rights of the citizen are to be respected. For these officers at least, before making a step during an operation they will consider the possible consequences. ORDWAY