2017-12-05Staff Report 2 Roland Routh Windhoek-The Namibian Police Force and the Italian Carabinieri - as that country’s police force is known, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Windhoek on Friday, signalling cooperation in various aspects of policing. Namibian police chief Lieutenant General Sebastian Ndeitunga and Carabinieri chief Lieutenant General Tullio Del Sette signed the agreements on behalf of both their forces. The Carabinieri, which has been in operation for more than 200 years, is today considered one of the best forces in the world with the capacity to maintain law and order in a wide-ranging field, including public order management, counter-terrorism, peace support operations, VIP protection, border control and forensic investigation, among others. According to Ndeitunga, Nampol put out feelers to countries with well-established police forces and the Italians responded positively by offering to train Namibian police officers in various disciplines. The training will take place in Namibia with Carabinieri instructors being flown in by the Italian government and Namibia providing accommodation, transport and per diem expenses. The Namibian police chief further said Nampol, as one of the youngest police forces in the world, can only benefit from what the Carabinieri can offer in terms of training. “The MoU provides for, inter alia, the exchange of experts for initiatives organised by each of the two parties, including courses, seminars, workshops, meetings, exchange of experiences specifically in the field of training, under relevant international standard procedures, as well as assistance in the building security capacity, the establishment of specialised permanent desks at respective training institutions, upon request of either party; as well as joint participation in projects funded by national and international counterparts or donors,” Ndeitunga explained. He further said 20 Nampol staff members have already been trained by the Carabinieri in the field of forensic investigation. The Carabinieri is a police force with military status composed of a central organisation, which is also fitted for assuring an overall logistical and technical support, a training organisation made of several schools, centres of excellence and specialisation institutes. Speaking on behalf of his organisation, the Carabinieri chief said the MoU would allow them to cooperate with Nampol in fighting the most sensitive illegal phenomena and promotes higher operative and training standards. He said the Carabinieri is a two-century old institution that has been bloodied by two world wars, and a lacerating war of liberation to become what it is today: an institutions that can count on 110,000 officers, thousands of garrisons on the territory and an institutions, which shares with other police forces the responsibility for the protection of the law and the security of citizens and with other armed forces the responsibility of the defence of the State and assistance in the event of emergencies. He said more than ever, police forces are working together to develop the best technologies, and the most advanced techniques to address new threats and protocols or quick and concrete responses to current and future threats. Del Sette added that it was precisely in this regard that the Carabinieri can offer support. “Developing the most up-to-date procedures for proximity police activities, best investigative techniques and best equipment, using state-of-the-art systems, training on computer tools and systems for the acquisition of and analysis of the information necessary for effectiveness of preventative activities” he added. He went on to say that with that comes the exchange of experts and knowledge and participation in training activities. The training of Namibian force members is scheduled to start in February next year when they will be trained in various disciplines including evidence analysis. 2017-12-05Staff Report 2
