New Officers Join Community Policing Program

June 28, 2012 - The joint U.S. and Internal Security Forces (ISF) Community Policing training program held a graduation for 132 ISF officers today. The Community Policing program is an eight-week training course taught by U.S. and Lebanese police instructors with the assistance of legal professionals.  ISF officers learn the latest policing, law enforcement, and community relations skills and how to implement them effectively in real situations.

The community policing model promotes the development of partnerships between law enforcement and the Lebanese people and institutions they serve in order to increase trust and confidence in the police and address the underlying causes of crime by developing solutions to problems facing the community at large.

The United States' $132 million multi-year law enforcement assistance program in Lebanon is designed to support reform in the Lebanese law enforcement sector by strengthening the capacity of the ISF to enforce the rule of law in Lebanon and to protect the Lebanese people.  A professional and responsive police force also strengthens Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and stability.

The U.S. assistance program strengthens the ISF and is part of the overall U.S. security assistance program to Lebanon.  Since 2008, U.S. instruction teams have trained over 8500 ISF members.