U.S. SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAM IN BANGLADESH

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Newsletter: The INL Beat, December 2013
Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
NL’s Police Partner Connects with Bangladeshi Youth

During INL Police Week events in May 2013, Assistant Secretary Brownfield acknowledged and thanked the criminal justice professionals in attendance from across the United States, not just for their efforts in countering transnational crime, but for their work as “honorary diplomats” overseas. An example of this unique diplomacy was recently displayed in Dhaka, Bangladesh where police officers from Portland, Oregon met with Bangladeshi youth at the Embassy’s American Center.

Portland Police Bureau joined the Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) to implement INL’s community policing program in Bangladesh. The program was launched in 2010, and takes place in Rajshahi Division of northwestern Bangladesh, an area previously identified as vulnerable to violent extremism. The program supports a model of policing that emphasizes the establishment of police-community partnerships and a problem-solving approach that is responsive to community concerns. Program objectives include: 1) teaching Bangladesh police officers and citizens community policing strategies and assisting them with implementation; 2) providing hands-on instruction, modeling and mentoring to Bangladesh police officers and citizens using an embedding strategy and; 3) supporting the overall community by identifying additional stakeholders with the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police.

Portland Police Bureau has been sending three police officers at a time for a period of three weeks since September 2011 to train, mentor, and work with the Bangladesh National Police. Though the officers provide training in standard areas such as case management and human rights, they also customize trainings in response to the requests of the Bangladeshi police. For instance, in 2013 they provided arson investigation courses to both police and firefighters in response to a 2012 Bangladeshi factory fire that claimed the lives of 175 people. They also offered training in areas such as working with social media, respecting human rights, and combating transnational crime to meet the needs of their communities throughout the district.

Portland police officers convened in Dhaka on November 12 to greet students at the Embassy’s American Center. Led by Captain Chris Uehara, the officers gave a presentation to over 50 students about the objectives of INL’s law enforcement program in Bangladesh. They stressed the importance of trusting police with the problems of their communities and working with them to develop tailored solutions. The team instilled in the students that each of them has the potential to positively impact their communities and act as agents of change to secure a better future for their country.

Uehara also spoke to the notable impact program has made not only the communities of Bangladesh, but on their own personal lives and careers back in Oregon. “By immersing ourselves in Bangladeshi culture,” Uehara stated, “we are able to apply what we learn to our interactions with Portland’s growing Muslim populations as well as our city’s other minority communities.” He stressed to the students that the program is mutually beneficial for the Americans and the Bangladeshis, as they are always learning from one another.

The messages resonated with the students, many of whom were personally interested in a career in law enforcement or civil service. The students engaged the police officers in a lively discussion following the presentation, and many of them expressed interest in attendingsimilar events in the future. U.S. Embassy Dhaka is currently working with ICITAP and INL to create more outreach opportunities for the visiting officers from Portland, particularly at the soon-to-be opened American Corner in Rajshahi.