Ian Howes in the Classroom in The Gambia.

Royal Gibraltar Police officers are helping to raise the standards in policing of The Gambian Police Force and of those officers wanting to join the United Nations peacekeeping forces. Conducting three week-long intensive courses covering wide ranging subjects, preparing the Gambian police officers for deployment with the UN, over the past few years John Goodman and Ian Howes of the Royal Gibraltar Police have between them trained 450 police officers in The Gambia. Since training began 70% of those trained have found success and been deployed to The Sudan, Darfur, or East Timor as part of the UN task force.

The two RGP instructors were part of a team which also included instructors of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment who trained military personnel for the same purpose of UN peace support operations earlier this year. On the military side this training is now mandatory for all Gambian units prior to deploying on UN peacekeeping operations in Darfur. For the RGP, their success in training police officers has meant a wider remit which has led to the enhancement of the overall training package approved by the government of The Gambia.These forces will work along side other police officers when on deployment.

John Goodman also in class tackling policing issues.

Talking to Inspector Howes and Detective Sergeant Goodman there is a certain pride in the work they carry out helping these young men to create a better future for themselves and for their families.

Since 2007 RGP Officers, under BMATT, British Military Advisory Training Team,have trained police in The Gambia… uniformed branch officers, child protection officers, child welfare officers, crime officers, CID, etc. All can apply to be deployed by the UN.

The training is funded through the British High Commission in The Gambia to improve the standards of The Gambia police force and to assist in reaching the level required to become UN peace keeping officers working alongside the military in areas of conflict.

Superintendent Eddie Yome of the RGP visited to see the work at first hand.

 

The extended training package has received approval and been welcomed by The Gambian authorities and the police top rank who have called for the return of these two men to continue training their officers. The demand was so great that initially classes were close to 200 in number and were held in unsuitable conditions. But today the numbers have been reduced to 100 making training and instruction far more manageable leading to an increased success rate.

The Governor Sir Adrian Johns also visited the officers in the classroom to see the work of the RGP officers.

The courses are well over subscribed with some 600 officers applying to do the training out of which some 100 to 150 are selected. The training consists of generic UN peace keeping topics: sexual exploitation, gender, human rights. Child protection – and topics which the UN feels they may need when on deployment.

Ian Howes supervising the work.

They now teach the officers within police headquarters allowing the top rank officers to sit in on sessions to see the response of their officers at first hand and even join in.

“We have been very successful and the feed back we have had from the Ministers of Justice and the Interior in The Gambia is that now the police force and armed services are being identified to take more of a leading role in the UN and a wider choice of areas in which they can be deployed.

Officers in a test enviornment.

“Basically as a result of our training they are better prepared and are being given more responsibilities by the UN in peace keeping.”

Presentation to Inspector General of Police Mr Sonko by John Goodman.

But not everyone will be deployed by the UN and this in mind, aware of those who remained behind, they decided to include basic policing issues like statement taking, report writing, interviewing witnesses, how to investigate… topics which can be used in day to day policing and which will also assist the UN if deployed. The course is intensive with strong emphasis on the role of UN, it covers community policing, code of conduct, First Aid on Infectious diseases and First Aid on Explosive injuries, cultural awareness, computer skills, negotiation and communication and hostage survival.

Chief Superintendent Ebrimah Bah acted as Liaison with RGP.

“If we provide training for only deployment and they do not get deployed (and there is no guarantee they will) the three week training could be lost because it is solely for the UN peacekeeping operations. It was after a meeting with the Inspector General of Police that we agreed to include the general policing duties and to use the training in their own work in The Gambia.

Royal Gibraltar Regiment CO Colin Risso is briefed on the training.

“The fact is that as a result they have been given more responsible jobs and tasks within the UN as a result of the training which reflects positively on the country itself”.

Both men believe the role they are playing in The Gambia is important for Gibraltar and for the Royal Gibraltar Police.

“It puts Gibraltar and the RGP on the map… we have been tested, we have delivered and they want more.

The officers meet Ousmann Sonko, Minsiter for Interior.

On a personal level it not only provides further professional development in their careers, even though they actually volunteer for this task, and carry out the training in their own time, it is also a way of knowing you are helping another community and training fellow colleagues.

“Their capacity and willingness to learn and to work hard is tremendous and this is gratifying to see. We have an officer who was our student in November last year who we identified as someone who had potential and is now the staff officer of the minister for the interior. To see this happening as result of the work we carry out is great.

The men were visited on their recent visit by the Governor Sir Adrian Johns, the CO of the Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Colin Risso, and Superintendent Eddie Yome

They next return to The Gambia in November.