Mentoring the Afghan Uniformed Police

By Captain Adam Thomson

A partnership between Canadian soldiers and members of the Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP) is growing in isolated Police Sub-Stations on the frontier of Zhari District. This partnership is all about mentorship, and it’s a crucial step toward a strong Afghan police service that delivers safety and security to the people of Afghanistan.

In October 2008, Canadian Forces Combat Camera sent a team to Zhari District to cover a Police Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (Police OMLT or POMLT) and the AUP detachment it trains, mentors and advises. Two presence patrols and a series of training sessions showed the Combat Camera team the great importance of the POMLT’s work, and the AUP’s increasing ability to police their communities autonomously.

In September 2007, when mentoring activities were producing good results in the Afghan National Army, a similar approach was proposed to help Afghan police forces overcome issues of credibility, lack of equipment, and overall professionalism. The Police OMLT (or POMLT) was created as a sub-unit of the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT), and made up of CF members from combat arms and military police units. Stationed in these remote sub-stations alongside the AUP, they provide regular indoctrination training, conduct joint presence patrols in the surrounding communities, maintain camp security, and constantly liaise with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan national security forces.

Selection for the AUP begins with appointment by a village elder, followed by a preliminary screening at the provincial Regional Training Centre. Selected candidates receive two weeks of police training before they are dispatched to begin policing activities at community level. Those who are sent to a PSS in Zhari are mentored by the POMLT, who build their skills and bolster their confidence and ability to react to the situations they will inevitably face.

According to Sergeant Dave Gratto, the senior Military Police mentor at a sub-station in Zhari District, “The AUP skills have drastically improved over the past year. I’ve found that the more you are willing to teach and show them, the more they see the value and demonstrate the willingness to learn. Once this knowledge is put into practical application, their performance has been exemplary.”

Increased training will be crucial to building Afghans’ trust, although one of the other important tasks for the AUP is to maintain a constant presence and dialogue at community level to help identify security threats.

Captain Hank Crawley, the Reserve infantry officer currently in command of a PSS in Zhari, compared Canadian and Afghan policing services. “Policing is the biggest link to the community. In Canada, police stations constantly receive calls from the public on matters of local security, and in many cases these tips lead to solving crimes and responding to security threats,” he explained.

Capt Crawley works with the Peel Regional Police in civilian life, so he brings a special perspective to the challenges facing the AUP. He believes that the greatest of those challenges is building trust between the Afghan people and the AUP. “This level of trust can only be developed through constant dialogue with Afghans, which is why we encourage them to speak to members of the local community at every opportunity,” he said. “Perhaps the people of Afghanistan will then become more apt to turn toward the AUP to address security concerns in their area.”

Capt Adam Thomson is a team leader with Canadian Forces Combat Camera .