Courtesy Photo | BAQUABAH, IRAQ (December 30, 2005) -- Members of the Police Transition Team and the...... read more read more
Spc. Lee Elder
133d Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAQUABAH, Iraq (Dec. 30, 2005) " Members of the outgoing Police Transition Team here believe they have played a big part in helping turn what was once "an outlaw town" into a thriving center of commerce.
Soldiers with PTT are now preparing to return home to Fort Benning, Ga., after 11 months in Iraq. They served alongside Iraqi Police and Police Commandos in the Provincial Joint Communication Center which acts like a 911 Center for a community of more than 300,000.
"The unit that had it before was more concerned with surviving rather than setting up an operation," said Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Chavez, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1-10 Field Artillery, the center's NCOIC. "Baquabah was basically an outlaw town, and it was very, very active with insurgency operations."
The center in Baquabah handles coordination for police and military operations in Diyala Province. It supervises six other centers throughout the province and serves as a base of communications between Iraqi and Coalition forces. The campus also contains a jail.
Attacks on the center were almost a daily occurrence. Local police seemed to be ineffective against insurgents and area criminal elements.
"The first thing we had to do was show the Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army what they were capable of doing," Chavez said. "We had to do many things."
Local police were trained by PTT members along with Soldiers from Company E, 2-69 Armor, 3rd Infantry Division. Together, they organized training designed to promote leadership within the police department through the Transition Integration Program.
The program taught police the role of law enforcement in a democratic society and human rights issues. It also dealt with more practical matters like basic first aid and self defense.
Chavez likened the police development to that of a child.
"When we got here, they were in diapers," Chavez said. "They were crawling."
While insurgents still posed a major threat, Chavez said PTT members were able to get police to broaden their focus. Besides battling insurgents, their focus was soon on other crimes that plagued the Baquabah area like drug trafficking, car theft and kidnapping.
"Instead of worrying about the insurgency, they started worrying about the people of Baquabah," Chavez said. "Once they gained the trust of the people, they were able to do their jobs.
"Now the police are doing police work."
Local police are now more proactive. They are making their presence known in the city.
"The police have gone from just wearing a uniform to setting up checkpoints," Chavez said. "You can see police stopping vehicles, giving tickets and doing normal police work. "The Iraqi Police have closer interaction with the civilians."
Seeing the transformation has been gratifying for those charged with training them. Departing Soldiers get the most satisfaction seeing a newfound confidence in their former pupils.
"You can see the pride in the Iraqi Police," Chavez said. "When they capture insurgents they bring them here and we can see the pride in their eyes knowing they did this without our help.
"They thank you constantly for what we have done for their city."
Another PTT member, Spc. Jeff Young, has "an awesome working relationship" with local police. He works as a radio operator with the team, and is responsible for building map boards that line the center's main control room.
"They are almost 100 percent on their own," Young said. "When I'm on the floor, I hardly ask any questions, they give me all the answers."
Having a strong police presence is benefiting the entire Baquabah community, Chavez said. He cited $100 million in projects that are being planned for the area.
"They are planning to build parks now," Chavez said. "You cannot build a park if you don't have the security in the city.
"This is how much the city has changed."
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2006 10:34 |
| Story ID: | 5022 |
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| Web Views: | 99 |
| Downloads: | 22 |
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