By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Four Costa Rican women police officers are training in Conference No. 57 of the International Association of Women Police, known as IAWP, which is held in the city of Anchorage, Alaska, in the U.S.

They were invited by the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the United States Embassy, "as another example of the invaluable support of the U.S. government to the professionalization of our police," said the Ministry of Security in its statement.

The four policewomen represent the Ministry of Public Security and are from the following organizations: the Air Surveillance Service, the Border Police, the National Coast Guard Service and the police of the municipality of Cartago.

The theme of the conference is "Preparing the Next Generation".

According to the Ministry of Security, the IAWP training has international prestige for the quality of the instruction that participants receive on various issues related to police work.

This training includes the participation of representatives from 43 countries around the world.

"As part of the pre-training activities, the officers participated in various cultural activities in which they had the opportunity to show a little of the folklore and culture of our country," said the Ministry in its statement.

On August, as A.M. Costa Rica previously reported, three police officers,were trained for more than a month, on leadership development, at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, known as WHINSEC, at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia.

The WHINSEC institute was established by federal law and opened in January 2001 to provide professional education and training to military, civilian, and law enforcement personnel from eligible nations from the Western Hemisphere.

"The Institute provides the nations of the Western Hemisphere the opportunity to enhance the professional level of their national military, uniformed police, and civilian security workforce and to provide them the tools to successfully use multinational and inter-agency approaches to regional security challenges," said the institute in its statement.

According to WHINSEC, an equally crucial component of the mission is the establishment of professional and personal relationships within and among participating nations, encouraging cooperation at all levels.

The three Costa Rican officers were trained from July 15th to August 23rd, along with 88 students from countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, and the U.S.

"The course was based on activities which focused on personnel leadership. Through field exercises, students developed the critical analysis to resolve conflicts that may occur in daily duties," said the Ministry in its statement.

According to the Ministry, the training was based on the importance of compliance with Human Rights.

The U.S. Embassy, through the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL), also donated two weeks of training for another team of 15 Costas Rican officers.

U.S. Embassy courtesy photo

According to the Embassy, with the support of the official U.S. Border Patrol, the 15 Costa Rican officers received training in Basic Bicycle Patrol, carrying out tests such as bicycle tours for 217 kilometers, "pedaling through rain, humidity, and heat."

This training is a "demonstration of our commitment and joint work with Costa Rican authorities for a safer Costa Rica," said the Embassy in its statement.

Also, the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement donated six motorcycles to the municipalities of the communities of Alajuelita*, Desamparados*, and Cuidad Colón* in the province of San José.

U.S. Embassy courtesy photo

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