20 police officers undergo training in Torit
About 20 officers from the South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) in Torit, Eastern Equatoria, have undergone two-day training on how to conduct thorough investigations to the standards of the United Nations Police.
The training was aimed at improving police understanding of thorough investigative procedures, especially regarding criminal proceedings, and at addressing frequent challenges faced by local law enforcement while protecting and serving communities.
The Police Spokesperson for Eastern Equatoria, Colonel Matthew Ochan, said one of the primary challenges affecting police is differences in training.
“We have colleagues who have received a lot of training, and, therefore, are more advanced in terms of their policing ability than their peers, while others lack the knowledge and expertise necessary to do our job well,” he said.
“However, we must all be on the same page when it comes to our knowledge of police ethics and investigative skills. It is not merely enough to know how to arrest a suspect, “he added.
“Part of our job as United Nations Police officers is to help our local counterparts in South Sudan to hone their policing skills,” says Namanya Apollo, an UNPOL officer serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
To counter some of these issues, participants were drawn from a number of different departments with the hope that they would, in turn, trickle down the knowledge they gained to their peers and subordinates.
During the session, the officers learned best practices to help minimise errors when conducting interviews with victims, suspects, or witnesses.
“I have greatly benefited from numerous trainings delivered by UNPOL officers, including accepted codes of conduct for police, human rights, and investigative skills,” said participant Joska Abalo.”This is a helpful refresher course, and I am continuing to pass on the information I receive in such workshops to my colleagues. This helps us become better officers and fully uphold the law,” he said.
The SSNPS leadership in the state was appreciative and supportive of this initiative.
