Effective leadership important in fighting crime

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Tuesday November 23, 2010 00:00

 

Speaking at a graduation ceremony of the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Otse last Friday assistant director of Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in the US department of Homeland Security, Brian Beckwith said amidst technological advances, effective leadership is a key component in fighting crime.

The participants are law enforcement officers from French speaking African countries of Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Cameroon, Guinea, Comoros and Anglophone Botswana.

Addressing the 36 graduands of the ILEA's Law Enforcement Executive Development Program number 37, Beckwith said the programme was designed to provide them with knowledge, skills, tools and techniques needed to address crime in their countries and the African content as a whole.

'With your feedback, the ILEA management will continue to update and improve future programmes offered.

I was informed that your participation in this course was impressive and that with the encouragement of your facilitators you have shared best practices and have been exposed to new ideas to enhance your learning experiences. The example and standard you have set not only adds to ILEA Gaborone success, but serves as a benchmark for the next class,' he told them.

The assistant director said that the 36 graduands have now become part of an elite group, adding that only 5,000 of the tens of thousands African law enforcement officials have had the opportunity to attend the academy.

He said he was confident that through training and collaboration the fight against terrorism and trans-national crime would be won.

'Each of you as law enforcement's future leaders and guardians will not only help the rule of law to flourish, but in the process, you will provide your citizens the safety and sanctity of the life they deserve. The barriers you have crossed, bonds you have forged and tools you have acquired in the past weeks will follow you from this day forward, further unifying our law enforcement family,' he said.

ILEA Gaborone came into being as a result of the United States and Botswana government's bilateral cooperation agreement signed in 2000. The academy has largely focused on capacity building for law enforcement organisations throughout Africa.

Its curriculum provides for courses on counter-terrorism, case management, fighting organised crime, supervisory police training, police strategy, narcotics identification, evidence handling and others. There are 29 members of the ILEA Gaborone and these include Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique and others.