rural policing

Rachel Neild

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Focus Area(s)
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15
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Daniel Scher
Name
Rachel Neild
Interviewee's Position
Senior Adviser, Open Society Justice Initiative
Interviewee's Organization
Open Society Institute
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
British/American
Town/City
Washington, DC
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Rachel Neild describes police reform programs in Haiti, El Salvador and other parts of the world. She discusses extensively the challenges of effective recruitment and vetting, particularly in the presence of poor information. She goes on to discuss the process of integrating former combatants into police forces, noting that while starting police reform from scratch may have been necessary in Haiti, this need not be the case in other contexts if former forces are properly vetted and held to the same standards and qualifications as the rest of the police force. Neild goes on to discuss some of the challenges associated with the effective operationalization of the police force, including force composition, professionalization and community involvement. She concludes that policing is a “two-way street” that involves both developing and building trust of the police and ensuring that people “understand the nature of law and rights and responsibilities.”    

Profile

At the time of this interview, Rachel Neild was senior adviser on ethnic profiling and police reform with the Equality and Citizenship Program of the Open Society Justice Initiative. She previously worked with the Washington Office on Latin America, where she was involved in monitoring the Salvadoran peace accords and demilitarization policy in Haiti. She also worked with the Andean Commission of Jurists, Peru, and the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights, Costa Rica. Neild has done consultancies on human rights and policing for the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Rights and Democracy, among other organizations.

Full Audio File Size
97 MB
Full Audio Title
Rachel Nelid - Full Interview

Carlos Manuel Lopes Pereira

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Focus Area(s)
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22
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Nicolas Lemay-Hebert
Name
Carlos Manuel Lopes Pereira
Interviewee's Position
Dili District Deputy Commander
Interviewee's Organization
United Nations Police, East Timor
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Portuguese
Town/City
Dili
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Carlos Manuel Lopes Pereira describes his work for United Nations missions in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and then recounts how he came to Timor-Leste with the U.N. Police. He focuses on legal issues of the U.N. policing mission, such as the complex legal traditions of Timor-Leste, the specific prosecuting procedures in Timorese law, and the differences between Kosovo, Bosnia and Timor-Leste. He describes in detail the way in which the UNPOL dealt with a series of student protests in Dili, and with the general problems of gangs, pickpocketing, cultural differences and with bureaucracy and absenteeism within the institution. He also discusses how UNPOL had been mentoring and training the National Police of Timor-Leste. 
Profile

At the time of this interview, Carlos Manuel Lopes Pereira was serving as Dili district deputy commander for the United Nations Police mission in Timor-Leste.  He was a member of the Portuguese police for 20 years. He was the commander of a police unit north of Lisbon, and had previously worked as chief supervisor in Portugal.  He served in U.N. missions in Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo and  Timor-Leste.

Full Audio File Size
91MB
Full Audio Title
Carlos Manuel Lopes Pereira Interview

Brian Dobrich

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Focus Area(s)
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21
Critical Tasks
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Nicolas Lemay-Hebert
Name
Brian Dobrich
Interviewee's Position
Director, Strategic Information Department
Interviewee's Organization
United Nations Police, East Timor
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Australian
Place (Building/Street)
National Police Headquarters
Town/City
Dili
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Brian Dobrich describes his role in the United Nations mission in Timor-Leste, where he was serving at the time of the interview. He describes how the U.N. police initially mentored the National Police of Timor-Leste on how to conduct investigations. In the first half of the interview, he explains how the U.N. dealt with crime in the districts and with the problem of gangs in the capital, Dili. In the second half, he talks about the internal workings of such U.N. missions, including problems of inefficiency, rigidity and bureaucracy. He also offers advice on how to build good relations with the local police force.
Profile
At the time of this interview, Brian Dobrich was a member of the Australian Federal Police, dealing mainly with frauds against the government, narcotics, and counter-terrorism. His latest overseas mission was in Timor-Leste, working for the United Nations to restore law and order and to ensure security and policing in Dili, following fighting between the Timorese military and the police. At the time of the interview, he was director of the Strategic Information Department  for the U.N. police mission in Timor-Leste. He served with the U.N. peacekeeping force in Cyprus in 1981 and with UNPOL in 1997. These assignments were followed by service with the U.N.Transitional Administration in Timor-Leste in 2001 and two non-U.N. missions in the Solomon Islands.
Full Audio File Size
69MB
Full Audio Title
Brian Dobrich Interview

Faton Hamiti

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Focus Area(s)
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6
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Arthur Boutellis
Name
Faton Hamiti
Interviewee's Position
Administrative Assistant, Office of the Police Commissioner
Interviewee's Organization
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
Language
English
Place (Building/Street)
Kosovo Police Headquarters
Town/City
Pristina, Republic of Kosovo
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Faton Hamiti describes how the police station in Kosovo where he worked as a language assistant moved from being predominantly staffed by U.N. Police officers to having mostly Kosovo Police Service officers. He explains that the first members of UNPOL to arrive in 1999 were well accepted, but they later encountered difficulties due to political issues, lack of cooperation from the population and differences in police techniques among the international officers that were training the KPS. He explains in detail the complex process of transferring power and responsibility from the UNPOL to the KPS, and how the complicated status of Kosovo reflected on policing. He also gives many accounts of his experience while patrolling with the police.

Case Study: Building the Police Service in a Security Vacuum: International Efforts in Kosovo, 1999-2011

Profile

At the time of this interview, Faton Hamiti was the administrative assistant in the Office of the Police Commissioner of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo. He initially worked as a journalist in a daily newspaper in Kosovo before the war and then became a language assistant with UNMIK, first with a U.N. Police patrol and later at the police-station level. In 2006 he started working with the deputy police commissioner for operations, and in 2008 he was assigned as personnel/administrative assistant to the police commissioner.

Full Audio File Size
62MB
Full Audio Title
Faton Hamiti Interview

Garry Horlacher

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Focus Area(s)
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8
Critical Tasks
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Arthur Boutellis
Name
Garry Horlacher
Interviewee's Position
Security Sector Reform Coordinator
Interviewee's Organization
U.K. Department for International Development
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
British
Place (Building/Street)
State House
Town/City
Freetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Garry Horlacher discusses police reform in Sierra Leone under the auspices of the U.K. Department for International Development and the United Nations. He identifies corrupt and inconsistent recruitment processes and low salaries for undermining the integrity of the Sierra Leone Police, and he emphasizes the need for improved funding and logistics. He discusses steps taken to address these issues, including managing the size of the police force and consistent, centralized recruitment practices. Horlacher also speaks about training and organization of the police force, and emphasizes the importance of coordination mechanisms between departments and agencies. He also discusses nascent performance and information management policies and community policing initiatives. Finally, Horlacher reflects on donor relations and U.N. policies, placing special emphasis on increased and consistent training of both U.N. and local police officers, and the coordination of priorities among donor organizations.
 
Profile

At the time of the interview, Garry Horlacher was security sector reform coordinator for the U.K. Department for International Development. Prior to that, he was part of the U.K. police for 30 years, retiring with the rank of chief superintendent.

Full Audio File Size
63MB
Full Audio Title
Garry Horlacher Interview

Semboja Haji

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2
Critical Tasks
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Daniel Scher
Name
Semboja Haji
Interviewee's Position
Researcher
Interviewee's Organization
Economic Research Bureau, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Tanzanian
Place (Building/Street)
University of Dar es Salaam
Town/City
Dar es Salaam
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
Yes
Abstract
Semboja Haji describes the challenges facing police reform in Tanzania in 2006 and the assignment of a “team of experts,” which he led, to devise a reform strategy.  He explains that prior attempts at police reform had failed because of a lack of commitment by the government and insufficient financial resources. He says outdated laws and regulations, some stemming from the colonial era, governed the police.The team, comprising seven academics and 28 police, conducted two years of research, including interviews with more than 2,500 police, politicians and civil society leaders, and reviews of police reform efforts in other countries.  He explains that members of the Tanzanian police bought into the reform program because they felt the reforms reflected the input and suggestions they offered in interviews. He says the reform program was entirely designed by Tanzanians without external advisers or donors in order to avoid constraints imposed by donors, and because foreign experts lacked an intimate knowledge of policing conditions in Tanzania.
 
Profile

At the time of this interview, Semboja Haji was a researcher at the Economic Research Bureau at the University of Dar es Salaam. Trained as an econometrician in Sweden and Norway, he later became a senior research fellow at the Economic and Social Research Foundation in Tanzania, where he worked for eight years. He helped develop the Tanzania 2025 Vision and Zanzibar 2020 Vision strategies, and had extensive experience advising the Tanzanian government in areas including national investment policy, energy policy, telecommunication, economic growth and poverty reduction.

Full Audio File Size
53MB
Full Audio Title
Semboja Haji Interview

Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili

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8
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Matthew Devlin
Name
Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili
Interviewee's Position
International Security Adviser
Interviewee's Organization
National Security Council, Republic of Georgia
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Georgian
Town/City
Tbilisi
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Eka Tkeshelashvili describes police reforms in Georgia. Shortly after it assumed power, the reform government fired the entire traffic police force because of rampant corruption.  Few serious consequences flowed from this decision, though some of those discharged may have joined criminal groups.  She says that the high level of organized crime and paramilitary activity that afflicted Georgia in the early 1990s was more or less under control. In rebuilding the police force, she says, the government recruited candidates with the proper credentials and training, and pay levels were increased significantly. The Police Academy was equipped with more up-to-date facilities and curricula. Prison facilities were reformed and human rights for prisoners gained improved protection.  Police management was decentralized.  External oversight of police activity and of the prisons was improved, and the public was given new ways to report and comment on police performance.
 
Profile
At the time of this interview, Eka Tkeshelashvili was the international security adviser to Georgia's National Security Council. For the last half of 2008, she served as Georgia’s foreign minister. Earlier that year, she was prosecutor general. In 2006 and 2007, she headed the Tbilisi Court of Appeals.  In 2007, she was minister of justice. She first joined the government in 2005 and served as deputy minister of interior. She graduated from the Faculty of International Law and International Relations at Tbilisi State University in 1999.
Full Audio File Size
41MB
Full Audio Title
Eka Tkeshelashvili Interview

Anthony Howlett-Bolton

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Focus Area(s)
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10
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Daniel Scher
Name
Anthony Howlett-Bolton
Interviewee's Position
Strategic Justice and Security Sector Adviser
Interviewee's Organization
independent
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
British
Town/City
London
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Anthony Howlett-Bolton discusses the process of advising Sierra Leone and Lesotho in policing, justice and overall security during development programs in the two countries.  He discusses in depth the practical concerns of Western officials advising in the countries in a more reflective manner, specifically talking about cultural considerations.  Howlett-Bolton also brings up the need for sustainability to be a prominent concern in any development plan, broadly and with respect to justice and security.

Case Study:  Reining in a Rogue Agency: Police Reform in Lesotho, 1997-2010

Profile

At the time of this interview, Anthony Howlett-Bolton was a strategic justice and security sector adviser, having retired four years earlier as a deputy chief constable for a police force in the United Kingdom.  He worked with the Lesotho Mounted Police, the (Lesotho) National Police Information Agency, Ministry of Home Affairs and Public Safety, and the British Council in Lesotho.  In 2007 Howlett-Bolton began work in Sierra Leone as an adviser to a development program, working with the police, prisons and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Full Audio File Size
109 MB
Full Audio Title
Anthony Howlett-Bolton - Full Interview

Building Civilian Police Capacity: Post-Conflict Liberia, 2003-2011

Author
Jonathan (Yoni) Friedman and Christine MacAulay
Focus Area(s)
Country of Reform
Abstract
As Liberia began to emerge from civil war in 2003, the warring sides agreed to overhaul the discredited national police service. In the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Accra, Ghana, the parties designated the United Nations as the lead body in rebuilding and reforming Liberia’s civilian police capacity. In a joint effort between Liberian and U.N. police, led initially by U.N. Police Commissioner Mark Kroeker and Liberian Inspector General Chris Massaquoi, reformers vetted and trained a new police service of more than 4,000 officers, established specialized units to combat gender-based violence and high-risk threats, improved internal accountability mechanisms, and began to reverse the sordid reputation for unlawful killings and rape the police had earned during Liberia’s civil war. This case offers insights into the development of the Liberia National Police, one of the successes in post-war Liberia and an uncommon example of successful post-war police reform.
 

Jonathan (Yoni) Friedman drafted this case study on the basis of interviews conducted in Monrovia, Liberia, during June and July 2011, and on the basis of interviews conducted by Arthur Boutellis in Monrovia in May 2008 and text prepared by Christine MacAulay.  Case published September 2011. A separate case study, “Building an Inclusive, Responsive National Police Service: Gender-Sensitive Reform in Liberia, 2005-2011” describes efforts to increase gender diversity and respond to high rates of sexual and gender-based violence in Liberia.

Associated Interview(s):  Bruce Baker, Ibrahim Idris, Joseph Kekula, Mark Kroeker, Robert Perito, Paavani Reddy, Aaron Weah, Peter F. Zaizay

Mike McCormack

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Focus Area(s)
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7
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Daniel Scher
Name
Mike McCormack
Interviewee's Position
Co-President
Interviewee's Organization
Guyana Human Rights Association
Language
English
Place (Building/Street)
Guyana Human Rights Association headquarters
Town/City
Georgetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Mike McCormack, co-president of the Guyana Human Rights Association at the time of this interview, discusses many challenges to protecting human rights in Guyana.  With more than 30 years' experience working on human rights issues in the country, he is able to chart progress and setbacks with a deep knowledge base.  McCormack reflects on the extra-judicial killings of the past and present, the drug-related incidents that have become more common, and tensions between the human rights community and the police.  McCormack also touches upon the ethnic representation of the police and perceptions among the Afro-Guyanese and Indo-Guyanese communities as well as the disparities between the rural and urban police units.  He draws a distinct line between the prison system and the police as an organization.

Profile

At the time of this interview, Mike McCormack was the co-president of the Guyana Human Rights Association.  Born in the U.K., he lived and worked in the Caribbean, Central America and South America since the late 1960s, serving as Oxfam's Andean regional director and working on human rights issues in Chile and Argentina. He returned to Guyana and was involved with the GHRA since its founding in 1979.  Through the GHRA, he championed political, economic and social rights.

Full Audio File Size
91.4MB
Full Audio Title
Mike McCormack- Full Interview