Miami-Dade instructors are sharing knowledge and skills with their Haitian counterparts through in-service training at their Public Safety Training Institute.The three-week course aims to enhance the professional skills of the Haitian officers and build their professional network.
“Increasing the capacity and skill of BLTS personnel will improve their abilities to address and combat drug trafficking and drug transshipment in and out of Haiti,” the State Department said. “In addition to endangering US citizens, the drug trade in Haiti undermines the rule of law in that country by fostering corruption and fomenting armed violence perpetrated by criminal gangs and political opposition groups,” it added.
The State Department said its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Miami-Dade Police Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Nov. 19, 2012 to cooperate on training, advising, and mentoring international law enforcement personnel.
Miami-Dade is one of more than 50 U.S. state and local agency partners from communities around the United States who help foreign law enforcement and judicial officials enhance their civilian security and justice sector capacity, the State Department said.
“Through these agreements, U.S. partners develop networks of contacts with foreign counterparts that assist them in stemming the tide of illicit drugs and transnational crime that are entering their own communities,” it said.
“Making international law enforcement connections on drug-related and gang-related issues has a long-term impact on cross-border, state-level, and community security,” it added.
The State Department said the MDPD is one of the larger police departments in the southeastern United States, with a staff of about 4,700 employees.
It said MDPSTI will offer four additional State Department –supported training courses to a total of 74 BLTS officers over the course of the calendar year.
