DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN MOI MID-LEVEL POLICE

UNCLAS SOFIA 000359 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KCRCM BU SUBJECT: DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN MOI MID-LEVEL POLICE OFFICERS ¶1. (U) Summary: The Department of Justice Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and the DHS Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) organized two one-week courses on leadership at the Bulgarian Police Academy in Sofia May 19-23 and May 26-30. The two courses if Bulgarian authorities take advantage, can catalyze Interior Ministry (MOI) reform. They were especially timely given recent scandals that have rocked the MOI. Seventy-four participants attended -- primarily mid-level police officers from each regional police service but also Police Academy trainers and prosecutors. End summary. ¶2. (U) Deputy Interior Minster Goran Yonov and Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Alex Karagiannis officially opened the program on May 19, 2008. Yonov said he hoped the trainees would put new skills to work to advance reform at MOI. He emphasized the increasing international dimension of police work, even for rank-and-file police officers, and indicated he expected the training would help them interact more effectively with their international partners. The DCM expressed his confidence that Bulgarian law enforcement could overcome the negative repercussions of several events over the last several months. He told the participants they had the potential to be catalysts in the long-term process of institutional reform. ¶3. (U) The new MOI Chief Secretary Pavlin Dimitrov and Resident Legal Advisor Tom Peebles opened the second session. Setting the tone for the week to follow, Dimitrov spoke of the current difficult period for the police force and emphasized the importance of appropriate training to develop each officer's modern, high standard of professional conduct. In his remarks, Peebles stressed to the participants their potential to be leaders and generators of change to lead their agency through the current storm and help improve its internal culture and external image. ¶4. (U) Joe Miller and Kathy Lanata from the FLETC's Law Enforcement Leadership Institute (LELI) conducted the training. The 5-day program emphasized finding appropriate techniques to improve communication based on behavioral styles. The program is predicated on the idea that good communication leads to stronger relationships and, ultimately, improves organizational effectiveness. Topics covered included introduction to leadership, behavior diversity and values, universal practices of leaders, and the five-step problem solving process. Responding to feedback from course participants, trainers Miller and Lanata introduced additional modules on ethics and stress in law enforcement. ¶5. (U) The trainers supplemented class presentations with video material and practical exercises, which gave participants the opportunity to work in groups and engage in inter-group competition. In one session participants described their greatest work frustrations. Based on these descriptions, the instructors developed a problem-solving exercise to generate remedial ideas. Throughout, the trainers shared real-life experiences from their long careers as law enforcement officials, providing a practical dimension to the models they presented. ¶6. (U) Participants in both sessions were actively involved in group discussions, and selected different group representatives to give more people a chance to speak and demonstrate results. The second group proved to be even more outgoing than the first, giving rise to spirited classroom interaction on a numerous topics aimed at improving performance and morale in police stations throughout Bulgaria. ¶7. (U) The MOI has promised to replicate the training; all participants understand that they are expected to deliver training in their respective regions. In addition, the four prosecutors that participated will become part of a working group to develop a leadership training module for prosecutors, which OPDAT expects to support through the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). ¶8. (U) After these two very successful iterations, our next step will be to help the MOI replicate the training, perhaps using a Train-the-Trainers approach with some of the participants. ¶9. (U) Comment: Post thanks the program's instructors, Kathy Lanata and Joe Miller, for imparting skills and sharing experiences so effectively with their Bulgarian colleagues. We also thank FLETC Senior Program Specialist Darrell Self for excellent behind-the-scenes organizational efforts, and Tina Young of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL),who also keyed to the program's organization and execution. KARAGIANNIS 6 3