# International Police training teams ?



## jimb (3 Dec 2007)

This may sound like an odd question,  at first, but bear with me a bit .....

My wife was born in The Bahamas, in Nassau, and she still has family there. During a recent phone call, her brother mentioned that the  Royal Bahamas  Police Force was very badly equipped and their training is still "stone age " in it's methods.

This leads to my question to this group .  I remember that Canada has, in the past, provided CDN Police teams to train officers in other nations, BUT usually that was in conjunction with a UN or NATO operation

My question is this.  Does anyone know if a nation that is not at war, like The Bahamas, could make a agreement with the Feds here in Canada, to get personal training for their Police officers, in their country ? That's is part one, here is part two.

I know that, in the past, Ontario has sent surplus EMS  Ambulance vans and equipment to Jamaica, as a gesture of good will. Can surplus Police equipment, such as vests, radios and cars be SOLD/GIVEN  to a foreign country by either the Feds ( RCMP surplus ) or a Province ( OPP  or muni Police ) ? 

Has anyone  here ever been involved in an  International Police training mission, that was not in a  civil war or similar situation ?  Has it been done before? I seem to remember a news story about RCMP training Police in Jamaica, some time ago. 

My interest is to see if I can help the RBPF get some better training courses,  and better street level personal equipment for  the ordinary coppers down there. 

Thanks for listening. Any leads on where to direct the Bahamian High Commissioner, in Ottawa to start his  discussions with our Feds,  would be most helpfull. 

Thanks for your time.

Jim Bunting. Toronto.


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## ms (5 Dec 2007)

I have seen several foreign police officers taking classes at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) where the police academy for BC is run. It was mostly at the senior level and for investigative classes but that may be a place to start. 
I don't have any knowledge of a police service here going to a foreign country to train outside of a UN or NATO mandate. I know my unit was contacted by senior officials from Israel to train some of their members in our area of expertise so I believe it could be done. 

Bahamas... warm weather... beaches... Have I mentioned I like teaching...  ;D


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## Greymatters (5 Dec 2007)

This happens on a regular basis but you are unlikely to hear about it.  Noone wants to advertise "Hey our police forces are crap so weve got anther company or country coming in to retrain them!"  However, you can got to a site called DG Market and you will find quite a few departments seeking training from the international community on a wide variety of subjects.  

Not surprisingly, Bermuda should already be getting 'free' training from UK and US sources, if not formally then in the form of an exchange or liaison officer.  But the rest comes down to money available.  Without proper funding, training and equipment will always appear to be substandard.  I would also question the bias of your brother's comments - appearing low-tech and old-fashioned is not the same as stupid and incompetent.  They are likely doing the best they can with what they have.


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