EAC police delegation in London for benchmarking visit

ARUSHA, Tanzania, January 31, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- A ten-man delegation of Senior Police Officers and Experts from the EAC Partner States is in London for a week-long study visit.

The 30 January-5 February visit to the UK International Academy Bramshill (IAB), which is the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is co-ordinated by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the British High Commission in Tanzania.

The purpose of the visit is to study the United Kindom's experience in harmonising policing standards and polish the draft EAC Common Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) with a view to strengthening the regional law enforcement agencies.

The Regional Peace and Security Strategy stresses enhancement of the EAC spirit of co-operation by promoting collective responsibility in the provision of regional security by the Partner States. It broadly covers collaboration on cross border and trans-national organised crimes, among others.

"The visit will certainly help to broaden and improve the draft EAC Police SOPs for mutual regional peace and security, which are vital to the achievement of the EAC objectives," said the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Hon. Beatrice Kiraso.

She encouraged such visits, adding that the region needs security for the success of the economic and political integration of the Partner States.

The British High Commissioner to Tanzania H.E. Diane Corner, who is also the British representative to the EAC, said: “I am delighted to announce that the British Government will support this important work to standardise police procedures within the EAC. Improved and standardised police procedures will not only help to strengthen public confidence in EAC police forces, but will also facilitate closer cooperation between the forces, enabling them to work closely together to fight crime and threats to security throughout the EAC”..

The NPIA leads on national policing issues such as Leadership, Protective Services, Civil Contingencies, Command Doctrine and Counter Terrorism.

The International Academy at Bramshill also provides a professional overseas policing advisory service in support of regional security and justice sector training and development projects.