Christine June at the George
C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies offers the below piece:
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN,
Germany, April 25, 2018 -- Almost 100 mid- to top-level law enforcement
specialists and parliamentarians from 52 nations have a better understanding of
the strategic-level approaches needed to counter transnational criminal organizations
when they return home April 28.
They are heading home after
completing the three-plus week Program on Countering Transnational Organized
Crime at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies here. The
Marshall Center is a German-American partnership that has produced generations
of global security professionals for the past 25 years.
‘Make a Difference’
Held twice a year, CTOC is
designed for government officials and practitioners who are engaged in policy
development, law enforcement, intelligence and interdiction activities aimed at
countering narcotics trafficking, terrorist involvement in criminal activity
and the associated elements of transnational crime and corruption.
“We focus on strategy and
policy development because we are preparing participants for their future
jobs,” said Professor Joe Vann, CTOC director. “We want them to think about
their ‘job after next,’ and not their current position.
Vann added, “We want them to
go home, be good at their jobs and get promoted -- not just to the next step
but to the higher step, because we want them to be leaders in their countries
and make a positive difference in the fight against transnational organized
crime.”
Globalized Response
In 2014, the Marshall Center
was designated by the Defense Department as a Center of Excellence for
Transnational Security Studies, due to its countering organized crime program,
as well as its courses on countering terrorism and cybersecurity.
“Unlike national or regional
studies of crime, we hope to take our participants to a higher level of
international cooperation,” Vann said. “An increasingly globalized problem
requires a more precise and comprehensive globalized response.”
He added, “We need to enable
our participants to think ‘out of the box,’ develop their critical thinking
skills that evolve, and apply new concepts and best practices. We need to
appreciate the value of incorporating local and international knowledge and
expertise to our broader strategies and policies.”
Khatia Dekanoidze, an adjunct
professor for this iteration of CTOC, said the Marshall Center is the place to
build global partnerships. Dekanoidze served as the first female chief of the
Ukrainian National Police, where until November 2016 she directed more than
100,000 officers. During her tenure as chief of police, she was a guest
lecturer at CTOC, and this is her second time as an adjunct professor for this
program.
“You see so many people here
who are part of the law enforcement services all around the world, and who
tackle problems every day just like you,” she said. “They share their
experiences, knowledge, concerns and problems with each other, and that’s how
law enforcement and global partnerships start with ordinary people who really
have to tackle the problems that are so familiar for us.”
‘Work for Your Country’
Participants represented
military and civilian sectors of their governments a wide spectrum in seniority
and experience.
“This is something that we
strive for at the Marshall Center,” Vann said. “With the right mix of
professions and experiences, we can create an environment where they can share
their knowledge and experiences with their colleagues. They can think hard and
discuss innovative ways to solve challenges through collaboration and
cooperation.”
Course participants heard
from faculty and invited subject-matter experts experienced in different areas
of combatting transnational organized crime. In-depth discussions focused on a
range of topics, including narcotics trafficking, human smuggling, weapons
trafficking, cybercrime and money laundering.
“We learned a lot from these
professionals because they talked about how to go about doing things,” said
Judge Gillian Lucky, from the Supreme Court in Trinidad and Tobago. “This
course not only gives you the theory, but also helps you to put it into
practice. You learn what is working in other agencies and countries, and how
you can make it work for your country.”
Discussing Strategy, Policy
Development
Each of these topics touched
on strategy and policy development, Vann said.
“Strategy is one of the most
important things I learned here,” said Kylly Fernandes, a prosecutor with the
Ministry of State for Reforms and Public Administration in Cabo Verde. “I had
some information about strategy before I came here, but I have since learned it
was not enough and not good enough. I am not an expert now, but I can tell you
that I am more prepared to do a strategy, and I know exactly what a strategy is
supposed to do.”
Lucky and Fernandes said they
have ideas for strategies regarding transnational organized crime and how to
implement a more of a whole-of-government approach in their countries. The
judge and prosecutor said that they will share their ideas with their
supervisors.
“Now we are challenged to do
it,” said Fernandes, who has 17years’ experience as a prosecutor. “I will make
a report, and one of my recommendations will be a strategy for terrorism and
transnational crime. We need to work on that, and I will really try to convince
them that we need this strategy for Cabo Verde and to add all the agencies to
work on it and be a part of it.”
Creating Positive Changes
Lucky is not only a judge,
but she is also a lecturer at the police academy in Trinidad and Tobago. She
said the knowledge of strategy she learned in CTOC will help her when she is
presiding over cases and when she is lecturing to law enforcement officers on
topics from intelligent investigations to successful prosecutions.
“I will go back to Trinidad
and Tobago very hopeful that I can create positive changes in the areas in
which I operate,” Lucky said. “And in the areas that I don’t operate, I can
motivate others with the knowledge I now have so they can use my knowledge in
their particular fields of operation.”
She added, “We will work
together to move Trinidad and Tobago forward.”
Note: In the above Marshall
Center photo taken by Karl-Heinz Wedhorn Khatia Dekanoidze, adjunct professor
of the Program on Countering Transnational Organized Crime at the George C.
Marshall European Center for Security Studies, discusses anticorruption reforms
and state building before 92 participants from 52 countries attending the
center’s CTOC course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany on April 17 2018.
Dekanoidze served as the first female chief of the Ukrainian National Police,
where she directed more than 100,000 officers until November 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment