ISF officials return from US visit aimed to study community policing practices

BEIRUT: Six senior officials from the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) returned to Lebanon over the past weekend after a two-week visit to study community policing practices in the United States, the American Embassy in Lebanon said on Tuesday. During the visit, which was sponsored by the American government, the delegation met with officials from the US State Department and police association in Washington, D.C. 

They also traveled to Chicago, Illinois; Reno, Nevada; and San Diego, California to meet with police executives to gain operational insight into American community policing. The police departments in these cities have been identified as among the best examples of community policing at work, a law-enforcement philosophy whereby the police and the citizens they protect and serve work closely together to identify and solve problems of mutual concern. 

After returning to Lebanon, ISF Inspector General Simon Haddad said that the concept of community policing would have a hugely beneficial impact on the ISF. 

“Community policing is a very great step for the ISF and the Lebanese society. This is the best way to solve problems and it is a link between the ISF and the families in the community,” he said. “We now have a clear picture of how to do this in Lebanon.” 

Haddad traveled to the US with Chief of Staff General Joseph al-Hajal; head of the ISF Operations General Sami Nabhan; head of Training General Mounir Chaaban; director general of political affairs and palestinian refugee affairs at the Interior Ministry General Nicolas Habr; and assistant chief of the Information Unit, Colonel Said Fawwaz. 

The US State Department’s Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) sponsors a community-policing training program for the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp. 

The INL program with the Internal Security Forces provides 24 US police advisers to train Lebanese cadets, instructors, and supervisors at the ISF academy in Lebanon. 

INL has also provided nonlethal policing equipment, vehicles and facility refurbishments to ISF facilities. – The Daily Star