In This Issue:

• Community Workshop Teaches Community Policing To Youth Leaders
• Reaching Flooded Guatemalan Villages
• A Speedboat + A Canoe Is Not Equal to A Helicopter + Night-goggles
• Palestinians Fight Tragic Fire in Israel
• Airlifting Wounded Police Who are Taking Down Jungle Drug-labs
• First Aid Training in Pakistan: Saving Lives from Day One
• Radio PSAs Help Victims of Domestic Violence
• Healthy Smiles and Fun in the Sun
• Scouting a Course for Prepared Youth
• Trumpeting the Cause Against Drugs
• Art Against Drugs “Draws” Great Participation
• Tajik Police Get An Up-Close Demonstration of Community Policing
• A Chance To Rebuild, Recover and Shape-Up

Community Workshop Teaches Community Policing To Youth Leaders

Youth participants tackled their problems such as access to education focusing on girls’ needs, the prevention of drug use, anti-social behavior, and promoting their involvement in environmental protection.

Over 100 townspeople joined police officers from several different operational units, for the opening of the Community Policing Center (CPC) in Rasht District.

Reaching Flooded Guatemalan Villages

NAS helicopters flew in coordination with the Government of Guatemala to deliver approximately 17,000 pounds of foodstuffs to isolated areas in southern Guatemala as well as in the Peten of the far north.

During the year’s second crisis in October, NAS helicopters flew again in coordination with the Government of Guatemala and delivered approximately 17,000 pounds of foodstuffs to isolated areas in southern Guatemala as well as in the Peten of the far north. NAS aircraft also evacuated 36 personnel from flooded areas and was on standby to evacuate many more, but the local populace elected not to leave their homes and just received the food support.

Their success was built upon the earlier double natural disaster, when on May 27th, the volcano Pacaya erupted, covering Guatemala City with thick ash clouds. The international airport closed as a result, and extensive efforts were required to clean up the ramp to allow for flight operations. Just two days later, Tropical Storm Agatha made landfall in Guatemala, causing extensive damage and flooding, isolating remote communities.

On the morning of the third day of the crisis, the weather conditions improved sufficiently for INL helicopter flight operations to begin assistance to the mountainous region west of the capital. A Huey-II delivered 2,300 pounds of food to Pachalun Quiche and conducted aerial reconnaissance of Pachalu Quiche and Solola.

Flooded Guatemalan villages.

A Speedboat + A Canoe Is Not Equal to A Helicopter + Night-goggles

Pictured on the helicopter is the seizure of 94 colorful packages of cocaine weighing 107 kgs in total.

An unlucky Colombian speedboat on a drug transfer lost its engine; it also lost hope of success. They called upon a local fishing canoe in Jamaica to try to discretely unload the illicit cargo to the safety of land, only to be spotted by a local law enforcement patrol at night.

When the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) are involved in narcotics seizures and eradication efforts, they routinely use NAS-provided equipment, commodities and training, such as Toyota Fielder; Motorola XTS radios and Patriot Night Vision Goggles on this bust. Pictured on the helicopter is the seizure of 94 colorful packages of cocaine weighing 107 kgs in total. They arrested five Jamaican nationals, one Colombian and one Dominican Republic national.

Palestinians Fight Tragic Fire in Israel

Palestinian CD forces in training exercises.

The Palestinian Authority supported Israeli efforts by dispatching 21 Palestinian firefighters from the Palestinian Civil Defense (CD). Tragically, 44 Israelis were killed, including 37 prison service officers who were en route to Damun Prison to evacuate prisoners when their bus was caught in the blaze. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated: “Our neighbors faced a tragedy and it was our duty to do humanitarian work toward our neighbors to protect the environment and human life.”

In a special expression of gratitude, Prime Minister Netanyahu conveyed the appreciation of the State of Israel “to the Special Delegation from the Palestinian Authority for the invaluable contribution and exemplary courage in battling the blaze on Mt. Carmel.”

Some of the responding Palestinian firemen were graduates of INL/United States Security Coordinator (USSC) training program, which is designed to support the Palestinian CD and improve its capacity to assist civilians during fire and other rescue emergencies.

INL, in partnership with USSC, began training and equipping the West Bank Palestinian Civil Defense service in 2009. To date approximately 300 Palestinian firefighters have received basic training on fire fighting techniques and search and rescue. The CD now includes approximately 330 firefighters in 26 civil defense stations in the West Bank. Currently three new civil defense stations are under construction, with construction on an additional eight scheduled to begin this year. INL and USSC support also included basic equipment, such as breathing apparatuses, first aid bags, ladders, ambulance blankets, fire gloves, boots and new fire trucks.

INL’s support to Palestinian Civil Defense in the West Bank is part of a broad range of INL and USSC projects designed to improve security in the West Bank and help build effective and credible justice and security institutions which respect human rights and improve citizen confidence in the rule of law.

Airlifting Wounded Police Who are Taking Down Jungle Drug-labs

Photo collage shows NAS-donated helicopter (top, right) and camouflaged drug labs.

Wounded Bolivian officers were also medevaced by the same helicopters to safety. Sadly, one Bolivian police officer died, and several were injured, while one Colombian was killed and another injured and captured.

As you can see in this camouflaged drug lab, so easy to build and setup, the operation was so quick and successful at swooping in that most of the equipment and drugs were unable to be removed, even though most combatants melted into the jungle during the fight.

First Aid Training in Pakistan: Saving Lives from Day One

Daphna Blacksea, a former New York City transit police Lieutenant and registered nurse, demonstrates blood loss prevention at an INL/ICITAP-sponsored first aid and CPR training course for Islamabad traffic police.

Five days into his two-week First Aid and CPR course, Mr. Syed Shah of the Islamabad Traffic Police encountered a gruesome motorcycle accident. Officer Shah assessed the victim from “head-to-toe,” as he had learned just days earlier, determining that the victim’s severed foot, connected to the leg only by some skin, was the most life-threatening injury. Using a shirt and an ink pen, he applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg, stopping 95% of the bleeding before an ambulance arrived.

In his own words, Officer Shah admits, “before attending First Aid course I was unable to do anything at accident and incidents but now I am very much confident that I can save life with this knowledge and I have also learnt about first golden hour in which we can do a lot to save a life.” Muhammad Imran, another police officer who administered First Aid twice within weeks of completing his training wrote of the pride in his work that his new skills give him, “I could not sleep that night and kept thinking about my deed. I felt how much internal satisfaction is achieved by helping human[-ity]. Thanks to you again, and thanks to God who chose me for this noble work.” Many officers have also reported that the public perception of police and their role in society improves among the crowds that inevitably gather at accident scenes and witness police in their first responder roles.

As a result of these training courses, INL is helping Pakistan achieve the goal of more capable and professional law enforcement which enjoys greater public confidence. Since 2009, NAS Islamabad has trained 536 Pakistani police in First Aid and CPR—including 54 women—from Police Service Pakistan, Islamabad Police, Islamabad Traffic Police, National Highways and Motorways police, Punjab police, and Quetta police.

Radio PSAs Help Victims of Domestic Violence

Sometimes it only takes a few words of encouragement to guide you out of a difficult situation and get your life safely back on track. In many parts of the world, radios are the only means to reach a wide public.

As part of the public awareness campaign to promote the three new Violence Against Women (VAW) Units that opened with INL funding in November, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) aired radio public service announcements (PSAs) that showed powerful results.

According to the manager of Radio Nehad in Balkh, a young woman with visible bruises came to the station after the PSAs aired, requesting help out of a forced marriage to a much older man who beats her regularly. She said she was illiterate and did not own a phone, but had heard the PSAs and asked the station manager for help. A second young woman came to Radio Nehad and said she was part of a “baad” agreement (the practice of giving a woman to settle a dispute). “I came here because I listened to some messages [on the radio] that if a woman is under torture and violation, then there is VAW Unit to support and protect her from injustice,” she said. The manager took both women to the VAW Unit to report their cases.

Radio Nehad voluntarily aired the PSAs far beyond the paid-for schedule because they provided such useful information to their listeners. IDLO also shared the PSAs with the Embassy Public Affairs Section to air nationwide as part of their “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign in December.

Healthy Smiles and Fun in the Sun

Children from the day care zone during a free medical clinic held in Condoto, Colombia.

Scouting a Course for Prepared Youth

Scouting programs are great ways to teach valuable life-skills, camaraderie and virtues to children and youth who wish to build stronger communities.

Trumpeting the Cause Against Drugs

A scene from 2011's Junior Junkanoo--similar to Carnival.

Art Against Drugs “Draws” Great Participation

DARE Col. Lucia, Drug Demand Program Officer James Story, and a talented winner stand next to the DARE lion mascot with her winning drawing and a bicycle.

Tajik Police Get An Up-Close Demonstration of Community Policing

Study tour participants are being briefed by Steven Williams, Superintendent of Cambridge Police Department. He's sporting a Tajik police officer's hat for the photo.

Next, the Tajikistan Ministry of Internal Affairs representatives attended an operational briefing in the police department’s command center where they were involved in real-time planning and decision making. Other participants attended a shift roll call, which included a briefing on the demonstration.

A Boston Globe photojournalist remarked that he had never seen police behave so cooperatively during a demonstration, to which one of the Tajik participants responded, “This is the community policing way, according to democratic principles.”

A Chance To Rebuild, Recover and Shape-Up

Ambassador Karen Stewart opens two new dormitories in December to houserecovering drug addicts at the Somsanga Drug Treatment Center near Vientianecity in Laos.