New Paradigm for the Iraq Police: Applying Community-Oriented Policing to Iraqi Police Development

摘要

Policing can be an effective counterinsurgency tool. Police are able to determine the individual needs of each community and address each constituent's concerns, which in turn enhances the government's legitimacy. The Iraqi Police face the challenge of transforming themselves from an institution that served the state to an institution that serves the people. They have so far failed to achieve that paradigm shift. Commanders in the field who have recently executed the Police Transition mission, as well as experts in the Iraqi Police training process, admit that after years and millions of dollars in training and equipping, their developmental progress lags behind that of the military. They attribute the difference in progress to corrupt practices left over from Saddam Hussein's regime, sectarian loyalty, militia infiltration, and lack of experienced leadership. Few Iraqi Police have models of behavior they can rely on that are compatible with this paradigm shift. Introducing the Community-Oriented Policing (COP) philosophy into their training may provide them with a reliable model of behavior and help them accomplish this transformation. Their ability to change may have a direct impact on the legitimacy and success of the Government of Iraq (GOI). COP is a philosophy that provides a complete cohesive organizational plan for modifying police work to achieve effective crime prevention. It requires the police and the community to cooperate in identifying problems, and then working together to solve them. The monograph first lays out how COP is compatible with COIN theories and doctrine and then explores the evolution of policing as a means of social control and crime prevention in Western societies. It also explores nonwestern experiences with COP and crime prevention, specifically, in India, Nigeria, and Israel. The monograph closes with recommendations for COP implementation in Iraq.