OTTAWA, December 12, 2011 - A group of senior police officers recently travelled to Afghanistan to better understand the day-to-day realities and contributions of their officers serving in that country.
RCMP Assistant Commissioner (A/Commr.) Mike Cabana, Calgary Police Chief Rick Hanson and Ottawa Police Superintendent (Supt.) Mike Flanagan spent five days visiting various sites in and around Kabul where Canadian police are working to train and mentor Afghan National Police (ANP) officers.
The recent move of Canada’s mission from Kandahar to Kabul made it an ideal time to see the officers in their new environment.
Accompanying them were Supt. Mike McDonald, Director of the RCMP’s International Peace Operations Branch (IPOB), Staff Sergeant Walter Boogaard, the branch’s Afghanistan Program Manager, and Mr. Mark Potter, Director General, Policing Policy, Public Safety Canada.
During the visit, the delegation met with the Canadian chargé d’affaires as well as Afghan and international partners involved in police training. This included the Afghan Ministry of the Interior, the American-led NATO Training Mission and the European Union’s Police (EUPOL) mission.
“With eight years of experience in Afghanistan, Canadian police bring an expertise that is valued by their Afghan and international partners,” explains A/Commr. Mike Cabana, officer in charge of the RCMP’s Federal and International Operations. “By helping the ANP build their capacity to fight crime in their communities, our police are helping to reduce the spread of crime to our communities.”
With the holiday season just around the corner, A/Commr. Cabana and his colleagues also took the opportunity to express their pride in Canadian police contributions and to thank their officers for giving up the comforts of home and family to serve in Afghanistan.
“This trip has allowed me to see first-hand how Calgary Police Service members serving overseas can gain a better understanding of cultures and the impact of civil disorder and crime, both abroad and within Canada,” says Chief Hanson. “Helping unstable countries to establish effective policing agencies will ultimately reduce crime in these places. It will also help commerce flourish, allow children to be educated and allow the average citizens to go about their business without fear.”
Currently, 46 police officers from eight services across Canada are serving as trainers and advisors to the ANP.
IPOB manages the deployment of Canadian police to international peace operations around the world. The decision to deploy Canadian police is made within the framework of the Canadian Police Arrangement (CPA), a partnership between the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Canadian International Development Agency, Public Safety Canada and the RCMP.
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Media opportunities/photos
Members of the delegation and the Canadian police contingent are available for interview. Photos from the trip are also available.
Please contact the appropriate media relations office to request an interview:
- RCMP: 613-843-5999
- Calgary Police Service: 403-428-7979
- Ottawa Police Service: 613-236-1222, ext. 5366
