U.S. Department
of Justice
Publications
Law Enforcement Development in Kenya: History, Reform, and Path Forward In this publication, the author, a graduate student from Georgetown University’s Conflict Resolution Program, researched and wrote this desk study on Kenya to help ICITAP engage with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism Office of Programs and with Kenyan government officials to design a coordinated justice and microtraining law enforcement development project. The study is interdisciplinary and examines the Kenyan criminal justice system in the context of Kenyan history, politics, and social issues. The objectives of the study are to analyze the following: 1) Kenya’s criminal justice system, 2) Present-day consequences of the 2010 constitutional reforms, and 3) The role ICITAP could play in law enforcement development in Kenya. Note: In February 2018, ICITAP’s monograph on “Promoting Sustainable Institutional Law Enforcement Development” (SILED), was e-published by DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office. The SILED model recommends conducting desk studies in countries where ICITAP plans to work, prior to conducting an assessment.
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Local Trust and National Stability: A Desk Study on the Nigeria Police Force In this publication, the author, a graduate student from Georgetown University’s Conflict Resolution Program, researched and wrote this desk study on Nigeria, which examines the role of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)—the largest public security provider—in resolving communal conflicts, preventing violent extremism, and safeguarding Nigeria’s federalization and democracy, and delineates policy recommendations for ICITAP. Though popular demands have arisen for the NPF’s institutional reform and decentralization, one of the most urgent issues facing Nigeria’s domestic security would only be peripherally addressed by the proposed reforms: the lack of trust between local communities and police. The distrust of the Nigerian public towards its police force jeopardizes any other high level reforms and their implementation. This desk study addresses the critical question: how can trust be built between people and civil society organizations in Nigeria and the NPF? Note: In February 2018, ICITAP’s monograph on “Promoting Sustainable Institutional Law Enforcement Development” (SILED), was e-published by DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office. The SILED model recommends conducting desk studies in countries where ICITAP plans to work, prior to conducting an assessment.
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Using Community-focused Policing to Combat Terrorism and Counter Violent Extremism: A Law Enforcement Toolkit In this publication, ICITAP outlines its significant expertise and years of experience around the globe to help host-country law enforcement agencies prevent and respond to terrorist threats by leveraging police-community engagement, community focused policing and coordinated justice development. ICITAP and the Bureau of Counterterrorism’s Office of Programs (CT/P) of the U.S. Department of State co-hosted a successful CT/CVE symposium in Washington, D.C. in December 2019. This toolkit is the next phase in the dialogue between ICITAP and CT/P, whom ICITAP thanks for encouraging and supporting it in its quest to formulate better and more strategic thinking in the CT/CVE realm. Policing for countering violent extremism manifests as the choice to focus on community wellness and resilience into the process of mitigating violent extremist influences and responding to terrorism, rather than getting caught up in a cycle of fear and repression.
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Making the Case: ICITAP Helps Build a Culture of Quality in Latin America’s Forensic Community In this publication, the authors, five graduate students from American University, researched a specific U.S. federal case to discuss ICITAP’s forensic laboratory assistance program in Latin America and to highlight how important accredited forensic laboratories and trained and mentored personnel are in solving and prosecuting crimes, especially when they cross borders. First, the publication provides brief explanations of ICITAP’s reasons for partnering with Mexico and other Latin American countries and the background of the forensic laboratory program. The publication then follows ICITAP’s facilitation of forensic laboratory accreditation, its training and mentorship efforts for Mexican forensic personnel, and the culture of quality that promoted public trust of the judicial system and increased communities’ acceptance of forensic evidence. Finally, the publication directly addresses the changes ICITAP’s program made to the Latin American forensic laboratory culture, the sustainability of these changes, and the lessons that ICITAP can learn from this program.
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Women in the Kosovo Police A modern police service needs to be able to respond to evolving threats to security and forms of crime. So a modern police service should attract the most qualified and motivated personnel for the job, encompassing a wide variety of skills needed for modern policing. It, therefore, needs to tap into and attract personnel from the widest possible pool of candidates—of course including women, because to address the needs of the population as a whole, a police service has to be representative of the society it serves. Stronger gender equality leads to better efficiency and effectiveness of police work. This publication reviews the role of women in the Kosovo Police (KP) and how greater gender equality in the KP translates into a stronger police force for this Western Balkan nation.
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Community Safety Action Teams: A Catalyst for Improving Community-Police Relations in Kosovo In this publication, the authors, five graduate students from American University, researched and documented the implementation and impact of the Community Safety Action Teams (CSAT), which have helped Kosovo improve community-police relations, ease ethnic tensions, and facilitate community-building projects. CSATs create a forum for communities to identify issues in their localities and develop plans to address those concerns. The goal of the CSAT project is to encourage interaction between community leaders and members, municipal officials, and the Kosovo Police (KP) in order to create cooperative working relationships on issues of crime, safety, and livability. The U.S. Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) provided mentoring, advice, and training to build the CSAT project into a sustainable good governance project that operates in 36 of Kosovo’s 38 municipalities.
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A Review of the USAID–ICITAP Election Security Program in Sierra Leone for the 2012 Presidential, Parliamentary, Municipal, and Local Elections In this publication, the authors, five graduate students from American University, analyze this innovative program that emphasized 15-20 minute micro-training (MT) modules that Sierra Leone Police master instructors developed with ICITAP and then used to train other police instructors and civil society leaders throughout the country. This approach improved police-community engagement and promoted good governance by educating the public about what police should be doing.
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Promoting Sustainable Institutional Law Enforcement Development (SILED) This publication presents ICITAP’s analytical framework for promoting SILED, offers detailed analyses of seven ICITAP programs that have successfully promoted SILED, and makes the case for strong monitoring and evaluation in law enforcement development programs.
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