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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:02 pm
Time: 8:02 pm
Results for police units
2 results foundAuthor: Anderholt, Charlotte Title: Female Participation in Formed Police Units: A Report on the Integration of Women in Formed Police Units of Peacekeeping Operations Summary: This report examines the obstacles that continue to hamper the integration of women into Formed Police Units (FPUs) of Peacekeeping Operations in accordance with the principles of United Nations (UN) Resolution 1325. To address this topic the study (1) briefly establishes the emerging importance of police units to peacekeeping operations, (2) outlines the key principles of UN Resolution 1325, (3) discusses the need for diversity, especially gender diversity, in police units, (4) discusses the core obstacles to integrating women into police units, (5) offers accounts of the major UN peacekeeping missions that utilized Formed Police Units (FPUs) or their predecessor organizations, and (6) concludes with summary recommendations for improving the integration of women into FPUs. It is important to clarify that while there is a literature on women in peacekeeping, there are no systematic studies that address the question of women in FPUs. Because of this lack of data, the report compares the experience of gender integration in municipal police forces in the United States with accounts of FPUs or related UN police units and their experience with gender integration. In addition, the narrow question of women in FPUs cannot be separated from the larger question of the unique vulnerability of women and girls in conflict environments and the equally unique role women and girls play in peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction of civil society. These themes will be discussed as warranted throughout the study. Finally, there is only now a clearly emerging sense of the definition and purpose of an FPU. The first FPUs were deployed to Kosovo under the UNMIK mission, and to East Timor (UNTAET) in 1999. FPUs are designed to be rapidly deployable, more heavily armed than regular UN police units (UNPOL, formerly CIVPOL), and more capable of independent operations. In short, FPUs are intended to respond to a wide range of contingencies spanning the spectrum of peace operations, but especially to be able to operate in high-risk environments. What differentiates an FPU from a standard UNPOL unit is that police in FPUs are recruited from a single-member state, and have trained together to operate as a coherent unit. Whereas UNPOL members are recruited individually and often deployed to UN missions as single members, by mandate FPUs cannot be deployed except as a full 120-140 person unit or in the smallest functional subset as a team of 10-12 officers. As a consequence of the increased operational effectiveness achieved through the particular recruitment and training model of FPUs they have generally been used for three high-risk mission-types. First, FPUs are considered a specialty force for managing public order. Examples of specific public order missions include riot control, crowd management at public assemblies, and the assurance of general public safety during potentially tense events like elections. Indeed, the core of the FPU mission can be thought of as assisting, “citizens to exercise their fundamental rights without any disturbance or unjustified hindrance and to prevent assemblies from threatening or actually harming public safety.” The second key FPU mission is the protection of UN personnel. This has included evacuations of personnel in extreme situations (post-election Cote d’Ivoire) and convoy protection (Congo). In addition, VIP and general facilities protection (prisons, warehouses, IDP camps, UN compounds) fall under this mission-rubric.3 Finally, FPUs are designed to assist local and UNPOL police with particularly high-risk operations. Such missions include high-visibility patrols (with local police, UNPOL or military peacekeepers) as in Congo, Haiti and Darfur; high-risk arrests; anti-organized crime work or SWAT and hostage negotiation operations. It is also important to note that FPUs distinguish themselves not just by this mission-set, but because they are able to perform the above while maintaining a strict code of respect for human rights law. Details: Carlisle, PA: Peacekeeping & Stability Operations Institute The United States Army War College, 2012. 70p. Source: PKSOI Papers: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2016 at: www.dtic.mil Year: 2012 Country: International URL: www.dtic.mil Shelf Number: 146011 Keywords: Female PolicePeacekeepingPolice UnitsPublic Safety |
Author: Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Title: Inadequate Governance of the VA Police Program at Medical Facilities Summary: The Office of Inspector General (OIG) audited the VA security and law enforcement program (police program) to determine whether there was an effective governance structure for reasonably assuring that the programs objectives were being met. These objectives include the approximately 4,000 police officer workforce providing security for patients, visitors, and employees at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical facilities. The OIG also assessed whether VA police met requirements for staffing size and qualifications, and had an adequate inspection program to ensure compliance with policies and procedures. The OIG found that VA did not have adequate governance over its police program to maintain effective management and oversight. The governance problems stemmed from confusion about police program roles and authority as well as the lack of a coordinated or centralized governance structure. According to VA policy, VHA leaders maintain primary responsibility for ensuring police program requirements are achieved. However, the Office of Security and Law Enforcement (OS&LE), a VA staff office that falls outside of VHA, has limited program oversight responsibilities such as developing and issuing national policies and inspecting police operations at VHA facilities. OS&LE does not have program authority to manage VA police operations at local medical facilities. The OIG made recommendations for VA to (1) clarify program responsibilities between VHA and the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness (under which OS&LE operates) and evaluate the need for a centralized management entity; (2) ensure facility-appropriate police staffing models are implemented; (3) have facilities use available strategies to address police staffing challenges; (4) assess staffing levels for the OS&LE police inspection program and provide resources for timely inspections of police units; and (5) make certain that procedures are developed for conducting VA police investigations of medical facility leaders. Details: Washington, DC: Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs, 2018. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 23, 2019 at: https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-17-01007-01.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://oversight.gov/report/va/inadequate-governance-va-police-program-medical-facilities Shelf Number: 156020 Keywords: Law EnforcementOffice of Inspector GeneralOffice of Security and Law EnforcementPolice InvestigationsPolice ProgramPolice StaffingPolice Units |