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

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