Hazelwood Police Share Democracy, Community and Evidence-Based Policing With Iraqi Officials

Police officers from the recently joined St. Louis County Police on a very special mission. Both departments were included in the 24 law enforcement agencies that were selected to help train Iraqi Police officials by the world’s oldest and largest association of law enforcement executives.  

As part of the program run by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Iraqi police commanders met with Hazelwood city officials and command staff and street officers from the and the St. Louis County Police Department during the week of July 8 through 15, the city said Wednesday.

is serving his fourth three-year term as IACP’s vice president/treasurer. The organization has more than 20,000 members in over 100 countries and was founded in 1893.

The Iraqi commanders were exposed to American police training techniques and curriculum at the St. Louis County Municipal Law Enforcement Academy, and HPD and other departments helped provide leadership, tactical and field training.

“The program is supported by a grant from the State Department, Bureau of International Narcotics & Law Enforcement (INL),” the city said in a press release. “INL is administering the transition of the education and training mission from the U.S. military to the State Department which will focus on capacity building and the Rule of Law.”

As many as 120 selected Iraqi officers will be trained over a three-year period, including the first Iraqi participants who arrived for training early last year. IACP and INL hope to enhance the participants’ professional development and introduce them to American policing techniques.

The Hazelwood Police Department was specifically chosen because of its record of excellence in community policing, as well as its ability to help Iraqi police adapt and integrate to the “democratic, community-oriented and evidence-based culture of American policing,” the city said.

This effort “will also seek to establish solid, long-term relationships as Iraqis work alongside U.S. police officers for a unique on-the-job experience,” according to the State Department.

“It was an honor for the Hazelwood Police Department to be one of 24 U.S. law enforcement agencies to take part in the community police training program for these visiting Iraqi Police officials,” said City of Hazelwood Communications Coordinator Tim Davidson in an email.