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Africa: West | ||
Ex-U.S. Top Cop Overhauls Liberia Police | ||
2003-11-11 | ||
A retired American police chief arrived in Liberia's capital to head a special U.N. mission tasked with rebuilding this still volatile and war-shattered nation's ill-trained and ill-equipped police force. Former Portland, Ore. police chief Mark Kroeker, who arrived Sunday, will lead over 1,100 civilian police officers from 46 countries around the world, including Russia, Thailand, Norway, Sweden, Jordan and a number of African nations. Kroeker is one of 10 foreign police officers already in Monrovia. The rest are due to land in Liberia over the next few months. They are here in addition to a growing peacekeeping mission due to expand to 15,000 by January that's helping secure an August peace deal that ended years of civil war in the West African nation. Kroeker, 59, told The Associated Press in an interview late Monday his greatest challenge will be making sure "we have the resources that are needed to train, equip, deploy and ensure that all the technical experience is installed in the new police."
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Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
#1 New officers could come from the former force; all would have to go through background checks ... "Okay, mister, you want to be a police officer, eh?" "Yes please." "First, a background check: did you at any time in the last ten years participate in atrocities, steal anything to feed your family, assist various gangs, thugs and bandits as they looted the country, or help Mr. Taylor carry large suitcases of cash to the plane?" "No." "Hokay, you're in. Here's yer badge, now git out there!" |
Posted by: Steve White 2003-11-11 3:28:14 PM |