Iraqi Police Service (IPS)
The Iraqi Police Service falls under the authority of the Ministry of Interior. Essentially a municipal force, it is tasked with Law Enforcement duties, and provides basic police services. It should eventually include a Highway Patrol service and provide as well fixed site security.
The Iraqi police is also tasked with assisting Coalition Forces on raids, though it is not responsible for terrorist or military crimes investigation. It does not conduct investigative operations.
Members of the Iraqi Police Service are equipped with pistols, shortguns and AKs. They are also equipped with a variety of vehicles. Their uniform consists of light blue shirts with navy pants. A brassard can complement the uniform and clearly indicates the letters 'IP' or 'IPS'.
Paid according to a civil pay scale, they are to eventually number 65,000 nationwide.
Many Iraqi Police Service (IPS) officers and Facility Protection Service (FPS) officers were honored by commanders of the 1st Armored Division and a representative of the Ministry of the Interior 29-30 October 2003 at the Iraqi Forum. 124 awardees were honored during the IPS ceremony, including 24 medals for valor and 79 medals for sacrifice. Twenty-one medals for sacrifice were awarded posthumously to IPS family members. The FPS award ceremony, held in the same place, but on the following day, recognized 24 awardees for valor and 21 for sacrifice. The awards given out were golden medals, each emblazoned with an imprinted map of the country of Iraq, with Arabic script reading, "It is an honor to serve country,"
The Iraqi police force has continued to grow to approximately 75,000 personnel by February 2004-- about 10,000 more than in November 2003. On 29 January 2004, the first 466 of the 35,000 officers to be trained in Jordan graduated from the multinational training program for police recruits. Germany has agreed to provide police experts in forensics to train approximately 150 Iraqi police in the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, the Coalition Provisional Authority was also making progress in developing special capabilities within the Iraqi Police Force, including in counterterrorism and in basic criminal investigation.
In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on September 15, 2004, Joseph Bowab, deputy assistant secretary of State for foreign assistance programs and budget, acknowledged that none of the 32,000 Iraqi Officers put in place since the downfall of Saddam Hussein's Regime had completed a full training program.
Knight Ridder Newspapers reported on Oct. 23, 2004, that the Iraqi Interim Government had been conducting a purge of the Iraqi Police Service over the previous months, and removing a number of officers from its payrolls for either corruption, lack of qualifications or for failing altogether to show up for duty while still receiving pay. As a result, while the IPS was believed to be standing at a 91,000 strength as of May 2004, revised numbers put the number of Iraqi police officers closer to 40,000.
