NCJ Number
172076
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 21 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1997) Pages: 14-21
Date Published
1997
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article describes the selection and assignment of US law enforcement professionals to be part of the peacekeeping force in Bosnia.
Abstract
The US State Department contracted with DynCorp, a Reston, Virginia-based government services firm, to recruit police officers to serve in the United Nations Police Task Force in Bosnia. The officers chosen were assigned to monitor, evaluate and train the local police, not to engage in law enforcement activities themselves. They worked 12-hour shifts for 30 straight days, then had a 6-day break, subject to UN operational needs. They were assigned to three-person teams, consisting of an American officer, an officer from another participating nation and a translator. Officers hired for the 1-year Bosnia assignment could earn approximately $85,000, plus a substantial completion bonus, most of which is tax-free. However, not one officer interviewed for the article cited the money as a primary motivating factor for volunteering for the mission. More important to them was the opportunity to serve both their country and their profession; several officers have expressed willingness to return to Bosnia, because they see a continuing need for their services.