Peacebuilding in Haiti: Lessons Learned in Building the Haitian National Police

• NCJ Number: 213681
• Author(s): Janice M. Stromsen; Joseph Trincellito
• Date Published: January 2002
• Length: 15 pages
• Sale Source: Trincellito Consulting
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: Haiti
• Note: From the International Peace Academy Lessions Learned Seminar: Peace-Building in Haiti Security Sector Reform: The Haitian National Police January 23-24, 2002. Downloaded March 31, 2006.

Annotation

This report documents the lessons learned from the development of the Haitian National Police (HNP) force.

Abstract

During the 1990s, a broad-based effort was undertaken to develop the HNP. Lessons learned from this process are enumerated and fall under the general categories of strategic planning, planning for the security gap, donor coordination, and operational lessons. Lessons learned from the strategic planning process are identified and include: (1) the need to define the mission; (2) to clearly establish mutually agreed upon objectives; (3) to gain the host country’s “buy-in” to the goals and objectives of the police development effort; (4) the need to treat the justice system as an integrated system; (5) to recognize the role of non-governmental organization and civil society in the planning process; and (6) the need to plan fiscal and human resources for the long-term. In terms of planning for the security gap, lessons learned included: (1) the possibility of including members of the discredited police force into the interim public security force; (2) the need to define the role of international police monitors and standardize police methods; and (3) providing economic support and training of former security personnel can be problematic. The process of donor coordination also produced many lessons, including the fact that there is no way to over-estimate the importance of the strategic planning process in guiding donor coordination and cooperation. Finally, many practical operational lessons were learned that are essential for planning future police operations. These lessons include:(1) the requirement for a legal basis for authority and police organization; (2) the importance of documenting police policies and procedures; (3) the need to avoid recycling police personnel; and (4) the importance of vetting personnel for human rights violation and criminal behavior prior to training. Finally, the report considers why the Haitian police development process was not more successful. Reasons include the lack of long-term commitment from the international community. Endnotes