By Hatab Nyang
A total number of 40 officers of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) have graduated after a month-long training on Public Order Management (POM). The ceremony was held at the PIU grounds on Friday 23rd April 2021.
The training which was conducted and funded by the German Police Support Team in the Gambia, exposed officers to best practices in POM.
Relevant modules such as basic tactics, leadership and command, election security, democratic rights, as well as intelligence gathering, were covered during the sessions.
Momodou Sowe, Deputy Inspector General of Police, expressed sincere appreciation and gratitude to the German Police Support Team and the Government of Germany for the continuous support and partnership. He challenged the officers to make good use of the opportunity and translate the knowledge gathered into efficient service delivery.
Ms. Isabel Bloch, chargé d’affaire German Embassy in Dakar, commended the confidence of the police officers and their courage for seeking support from the Baden Wurttemberg state police for capacity building to better serve the people of The Gambia.
Ms. Bloch underscored the importance of the concluded training after 20 plus years of dictatorship. She said the training will equip the officers to observe the rule of law, uphold human rights and freedom of assembly which are all hallmarks of democratic societies.
The ceremony was also attended by development partners including Spanish Guardia Civil, the Regional Security Officer US Embassy, the French Security Adviser, Deputy High Commissioner at the British High Commission, and the Project Manager GIZ Police Programme in the Gambia.
