International Police
Encyclopedia
The International Police is the title used for an organization of police
officers representing various countries throughout the world, brought together to assist in the training, organization, stabilization of a destabilized region, or creation of indigenous police forces primarily in war-torn countries. It should not be confused with Interpol
, which is a different organization.
Its beginnings, in the form in which it presently exists, can be traced back to the late 1980s, when police officer
s serving with the force served mostly unarmed and in a monitoring or advising role. By the mid-1990s, with the advent of the problems in Haiti
and Bosnia
, the force began expanding into a more evolved and proactive role, and usually officers are armed with either a sidearm pistol
or, on occasion, both a pistol and a rifle
, depending on the dangers of the area in which they are assigned. Each war-torn country receiving International Police is referred to officially as a "mission", and each "mission" receives a specific title, such as the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, or the United Nations
Transitional Authority for East Timor.
Rarely are officers from the same country allowed to serve in the same unit in the roles of Commander and Deputy Commander, which ensures national balance. Although contributing countries often deploy officers who in their own country are of high rank, while serving with the International Police their respective ranks are not taken into regard, but rather their professional abilities and experience. The organization has its own Internal Affairs
section for each mission assignment, with rules banning any investigator from overseeing an investigation involving a member from his or her own country contingent.
Usually falling under the direction of the United Nations, or more recently the Coalition Forces in Iraq
and Afghanistan
, the International Police have served in various places of interest: most notably, Haiti
, Bosnia, Croatia
, Kosovo
, East Timor
, Liberia
, Cyprus
, Iraq
, Sudan
, and Afghanistan
. Each country contributing officers has its own Contingent Command structure, but falls operationally under either the United Nations or the Coalition Forces.
International Police Survivors, Inc. is a non-profit organization established May of 2011 in an effort to bring recognition to what is now considered a "new way of policing". www.police-survivors.org
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officers representing various countries throughout the world, brought together to assist in the training, organization, stabilization of a destabilized region, or creation of indigenous police forces primarily in war-torn countries. It should not be confused with Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
, which is a different organization.
Its beginnings, in the form in which it presently exists, can be traced back to the late 1980s, when police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s serving with the force served mostly unarmed and in a monitoring or advising role. By the mid-1990s, with the advent of the problems in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, the force began expanding into a more evolved and proactive role, and usually officers are armed with either a sidearm pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
or, on occasion, both a pistol and a rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
, depending on the dangers of the area in which they are assigned. Each war-torn country receiving International Police is referred to officially as a "mission", and each "mission" receives a specific title, such as the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, or the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Transitional Authority for East Timor.
Rarely are officers from the same country allowed to serve in the same unit in the roles of Commander and Deputy Commander, which ensures national balance. Although contributing countries often deploy officers who in their own country are of high rank, while serving with the International Police their respective ranks are not taken into regard, but rather their professional abilities and experience. The organization has its own Internal Affairs
Internal affairs (law enforcement)
The internal affairs division of a law enforcement agency investigates incidents and plausible suspicions of lawbreaking and professional misconduct attributed to officers on the force...
section for each mission assignment, with rules banning any investigator from overseeing an investigation involving a member from his or her own country contingent.
Usually falling under the direction of the United Nations, or more recently the Coalition Forces in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, the International Police have served in various places of interest: most notably, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Bosnia, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Each country contributing officers has its own Contingent Command structure, but falls operationally under either the United Nations or the Coalition Forces.
International Police Survivors, Inc. is a non-profit organization established May of 2011 in an effort to bring recognition to what is now considered a "new way of policing". www.police-survivors.org