Discovering the Soul of Policing in Afghanistan
support his decision to stop. As a result, after two years in the
ANP, Hamid walked away from the force and left Afghanistan
to live and work with relatives in Dubai.
Corruption is an enduring problem in policing development,
and the ANP is no exception. In 2011, the Minister of Interior
(MoI) made countering corruption one of his top priorities
and in support, NTM-A pursued a proactive, multi-pronged,
development approach to inoculate the system through internal
and external controls embedded in both ministerial and operational functions. The plan would also strengthen discipline
and enforcement and inculcate a culture of accountability and
public service. Reforms covered areas such as equipment accountability, procurement reform, pay and personnel management, drug screening, and the establishment of clear standards
of professional performance. Civil society engagement was seen
as crucial, and inculcating the values of integrity, honesty, and
public service over personal interest begins with recruitment
and continues throughout vetting, training, and assignment.
Finally, NTM-A and other international partners, including
those from the European Union Policing Mission worked intensively with the Afghans to institutionalize the roles of the legal
office, anti-corruption investigations, and the Inspector General
within the MoI, and to strengthen codes of conduct and other
instruments that govern policing behavior.
A comprehensive strategy such as this one is difficult to implement, and doesn’t produce quick wins or immediate returns on
investment. However, NTM-A believed that over the long haul
it would increase the integrity of the ANP and the competence
of its governing structures, and therefore committed itself to
mainstreaming accountability as an integral part of the institutional culture. Whether this proactive, rather than reactive,
strategy will work remains to be seen. What is certain, however,
is that ignoring the problems, or in the alternative, treating them
as issues that could be addressed through high profile rewards
and punishments alone, was not effective by any measure.
After spending eight months in Dubai and Turkey, working in
shops and looking for opportunities, Hamid realized that his
future remained in Afghanistan, so he returned. Nervously,
he contacted the ANP to find out whether he could rejoin the
force, hoping this time to be reassigned to a Criminal Investigative Unit. Much to his surprise, the ANP agreed that he could
return with his officer rank, but only on the condition that he
join the Afghan Civil Order Police.
Hamid wasn’t so sure about ANCOP. It was originally modeled
on the highly-professional, paramilitary national police forces
of the French Gendarmerie and the Italian Carabinieri, with the
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Afghanistan National Police swearing-in ceremony
mission of maintaining and restoring public order in the face of
high-end threats such as civil unrest or terrorist activities. As
ANCOP has matured, however, it has become the most visible policing contribution to the counterinsurgency. ANCOP
forces come in behind the military to hold territory as it is
cleared of insurgents. The units are deployed for three months
at a time, and suffer the highest casualty rates of any police i n
Afghanistan. Their training is also more rigorous. Standards
for recruitment and performance are higher than for the rest
of the ANP, and because ANCOP forces are not embedded
within communities the way the AUP are, the opportunities for
corruption, while still present, are less.
Initially, when Hamid was offered the chance to come back as
an ANCOP officer, he thought of it as a punishment for his desertion. But friends told him that the discipline was better, and
there was a strong esprit de corps. The uniforms were impressive, there was bonus pay, and ANCOP enjoyed greater public
confidence than the other elements of the ANP. It seemed like
a good option, so Hamid agreed.
To be an ANCOP officer is not an easy job. Under the command of Major General Zamary, a charismatic former Army
commander, who carries a well-worn copy of the Afghan
Constitution whenever he engages with his men, ANCOP has
become a respected, capable security force that is contributing
significantly to public order and stability in Afghanistan. For
Zamary, policing is about the relationship between the police
and the population, and leadership requires adherence to strict
standards of performance and care of the men and women who