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SITUATION:

Your team is collocated with the 22d Haitian Police Company. You are to assist with static security of the police compound and area presence patrols . You are responsible to prevent human rights violations by the local police by setting the example or direct intervention. The intent is to show the police what a professional police force looks like, how it acts, and how it treats citizens. The public must feel safe and perceive that we are training the police, not protecting them and condoning their past indiscretions.

EVENT(S):

1. A small crowd forms at the front gate of the compound. A local store owner has brought a male teenager (who has been beaten) to the gate and has accused him of raping his daughter. The police drag the boy to an eight-foot pole in the compound and tie the boy to the pole and start to beat him with their canes. The store owner and the boy s family are watching.

2. A large crowd forms at the front gate of the compound. During the confusion, one military police officer is grabbed by the crowd and is being severely beaten by the crowd.

3. While on patrol, the local police stop at a favorite coffee shop. When they finish their coffee, they leave without paying. The shop owner complains to the senior Haitian police officer. The police officer responds by striking the shop owner across the face with a night stick and walks away.

4. While on a mounted patrol, the lead civilian police vehicle strikes a women crossing the street. The patrol continues and fails to stop at the scene.

5. While on a dismounted patrol, a local woman approaches the patrol and says that a male has been trying to rape her. The civilian patrol leader does not respond. The woman persists and the patrol leader says that it is her fault because of how she dresses and acts.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

EVENT(S):

1. The first step to preventing this type of action is to have established ground rules with the civilian police chain of command before you start combined operations. You must be firm and direct with them at all times; they will respect you for it. You must establish guidelines for what you will and will not condone. You must tell them what your response will be if they violate those guidelines. Finally, you must consistently enforce these guidelines or you stand to lose all credibility with the police and the public. Once again, you must develop a set of graduated responses for this situation. The following is a list of some that have been used in- country to date:

a. Physical presence at the scene.

b. Tell them that when you say stop and blow your whistle (signal for other U. S. MP that there is a situation), you will take responsibility for the situation. Their action is to stop, step back and assist as needed. 

c. If they don't respond to stop, physically place yourself in front of the senior police officer and order him to make them stop.

d. If the senior police officer fails to give the order to stop, apprehend the senior police officer.

e. If the senior police officer fails to give the order to stop:

(1) Physically separate the police and the civilians (if sufficient U. S. MP are present); possibly use night sticks.

(2) Employ pepper spray.

(3) Unholster side arm.

(4) Fire rounds in the air.

(5) If loss of life is imminent, use of deadly force is authorized.

2. Employ graduated response for crowd control and attempt to recover the police officer. It is important to tell the crowd that your mission is to serve and protect, you are trying to train the police and retribution will not be tolerated by anyone. If this situation occurs, the senior leadership must speak to local and district leaders to get the word out on our intent. PSYOP teams should conduct an information campaign in support of this MP team.

3. Employ techniques listed above, and administer first aid. Insist that the officer be reprimanded by the police chain of command and that the police chief visit the scene and apologize for the actions of his officer.

4. You stop and perform first aid and evacuation as needed. This situation shows the need for an area MP QRF and how important it is to be integrated (to include cross level in the vehicles) to control their actions. If you cross level within the convoy, you can force the vehicle to stop.

5. Inform the policeman to "stop" and take charge of the situation and train him through your actions. NOTE: Most of these Haitians truly do not understand their role as a police officer. It is important to take every opportunity to train and teach them while in their garrison or on patrol. You should make an A AR after every mission and, when they are successful, it is advantageous to provide them with positive feedback.

ROE Limitations and Restrictions:

ROE 4: Members of the military, police or other armed persons may be stopped, detained, and, if necessary, disarmed if they appear to threaten essential civic order.

ROE 6: Necessary and proportional force is authorized to control disturbances and disperse crowds threatening essential civic order.