Haiti: The PNH trains instructors in crowd management

HL/ HaitiLibre - As part of the establishment of an Office of Continuous Training within the National Police of Haiti (PNH), 18 candidates have participated in a new training module of instructors in "crowd management". This training module, the third of its kind, focuses on defensive techniques and of interpellation as well as the use of force.

The third training module, prepared by the Mobile Training Team (MTT) of the Minustah, is subsequently to the training courses held from October 11 to November 12, 2010 in "maintaining order" and from 12 to 21 January 2011 in "progression and penetration."

According to Eric Besville, French police officer, working in the UNPol, 11 candidates are from the Departmental Unit of Maintenance Order (UDMO), 3 from the Company for Intervention and Maintaining Order (CIMO) and 4 from the instructors body evolving at the Police Academy.

The students, first, learns how to use the stick (tonfa et telescopic stick of defense) of a manner appropriate and without abuse. They must then transmit this technique, while focusing on the educational aspect of the use of the stick, has stated Jérôme Grisel, training officer, member of the United Nations Police (UNPol), which stresses that for this purpose, each applicant has been evaluated "pedagogically and tactically."

According to Paolo Bonanno, stage Director, head of the MTT, the Haitian police suffers "of a notable lack of trainers in all professional fields." The establishment of an Office of Continuous Training and autonomous within the Police Academy is indispensable for the independence of the PNH. This office will be composed of referents or chief instructors, in different disciplines requiring a specialization, such as close protection, penetration techniques and of intervention or maintaining order. The objective is the "start of the system so that the police force may, itself, now forming its members."

The principles and techniques taught as part of this training series, are based on a program developed by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in New York and designed for missions of peacekeeping on the ground. These formations are funded by the French Cooperation Agency.