Joint Patrol with Afghan Policemen

Szöveg: kormany.hu | 2011. október 30. 6:16

This was not the first time that the nominated personnel of the HDF Provincial Reconstruction Team (HUN PRT-11) and the Afghan National Police (ANP) had conducted a joint patrol in Pol-e Khomri, Afghanistan. Col. Dr. Romulusz Ruszin, the commander of the HUN PRT-11 intends to expand the scope of this activity through setting up joint vehicle checkpoints (VCPs) and conducting night patrols. With these measures, the Hungarian troops can help the work of the ANP, and their presence builds confidence among the local population.

The joint patrolling with the Afghan policemen is conducted twice every week, thanks to the Hungarian operational liaison officers’ work. The Operations Coordination Center – Provincial (OCC-P) receives the situation reports sent by the patrols on a daily basis. This is the place where the leaders of the ANP and the Afghan National Army (ANA) decide on the course of action for potential emergencies. On a given occasion, the OCC-P is to deploy the security forces and the police in a given area. Therefore, the security situation in the province hinges on the effectiveness of this organization. After the withdrawal of the ISAF combat troops, the Afghans must keep law and order in the province without this center.

Early in the morning a group of Afghan policemen joined the Hungarian troops, and they reached the southern gate of the city on a scheduled route. The busiest spot of the town is the marketplace in the centre. The policemen on duty were tasked with controlling the traffic, as their sheer presence provides security.

Here, on the southern edge of the town where there is an entry to a housing estate, the Afghan policemen formed a control bay. They perform the checking here, searching the car trunks and distributing leaflets delivered by the troops. Due to the heavy traffic and the children,
it is often difficult to operate the VCP. No incidents occurred during the joint patrolling, so the patrol teams finished it without arresting wanted persons or seizing weapons.