Since the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet states, the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) has provided law enforcement training and technical assistance to help stand up stable democracies in the region. Today, ICITAP’s focus in Eastern and Central Europe is on border security, building capacity to conduct complex investigations, and improving regional cross-border law enforcement cooperation.

ICITAP programs in the region are primarily funded by the State Department‘s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. ICITAP also receives funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

ICITAP works closely with U.S. government counterparts and with international and regional organizations in Europe, including the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the European Union (EU).

Learn more about ICITAP's programs in this region (*indicates field office):

Armenia
Since 2003, ICITAP has provided training in civil disturbance management, combating domestic violence, and internal affairs development. ICITAP is also partnering with the Armenian national police to build a firing range and will provide firearms training upon completion of the range.

Bosnia-Herzegovina*
ICITAP's program in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which began in 1996, focuses on improving law enforcement capabilities, from the state level to the municipal-precinct level, to combat terrorism and organized crime. ICITAP is helping Bosnia-Herzegovina develop modern information management systems and specialized units to improve police response and immigration and border control. ICITAP has also introduced the task force concept to help Bosnia-Herzegovina law enforcement officials combat terrorism and other criminal activities, including narcotics smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, and organized crime. ICITAP has trained over 26,000 of the country’s enforcement officials in modern, democratic policing techniques with an emphasis on human dignity.

Croatia
Since 2000, ICITAP has worked with Croatian officials and international partners to develop police training programs that meet internationally recognized standards and help the Croatian government fight organized crime. ICITAP’s training and technical assistance program has supported the development of a witness protection program, a case tracking system for the Croatian prosecutor’s office, and a permanent informant-management system. In addition, ICITAP has worked with the Croatians in their efforts to create a fugitive task force based on the U.S. Marshals model.

Georgia
Following the Rose Revolution in 2003, ICITAP has provided assistance to Georgia's police academy that includes management training, the development of standard operating procedures and curriculum, and the donation of equipment and uniforms.

Kosovo*
At the outset of the United Nations (UN) Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in 1999, ICITAP seconded two senior police managers, charged with carrying out the training of new Kosovo Police Service, to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). ICITAP held the position of director of the Kosovo Police Service School for eight years, as well as contributed hundreds of instructors over that same period. Today, ICITAP is recognized by the new European Union mission (EULEX); the UN; the OSCE; and NATO’s peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR), as the leading coordinator of police development in the country. ICITAP is assisting the Ministry of Interior and the Kosovo Police in building their institutions, including developing border management and immigration services, establishing an integrated IT system to facilitate effective criminal investigations, training police and prosecutors to respond to organized and financial crimes, and strengthening local communities to deal with ethnic conflict.

Kyrgyzstan*
Since 2004, ICITAP has worked with Kyrgyz authorities to combat corruption in the traffic police, advance merit-based hiring and promotional standards within the police, develop the primary police training academy, and fight narcotics trafficking. ICITAP has also assisted in establishing civilian oversight of the law enforcement community through the creation of a civilian review board.

Macedonia*
Since the end of interethnic conflicts in Macedonia in 2001, ICITAP has supported law enforcement reforms, as identified in the Ohrid Framework Agreement, with a focus on the development of a community-based police service. ICITAP held the position of deputy director of the Police Development Unit (PDU) for OSCE, which worked in close partnership with the Ministry of Interior and national police. ICITAP is building the capacity of the Macedonian police to fight human trafficking and organized crime, and is working closely with the Macedonian border police to strengthen the country’s ability to secure its borders. ICITAP is also working with the Ministry of Interior to develop a sustainable human resources system for the police and a decentralized police structure.

Moldova*
Since 2001, ICITAP has been working with Moldovan law enforcement institutions on training, academy development, and anticorruption initiatives  With funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, ICITAP has partnered with the Ministry of Interior and the Customs Service of Moldova to reduce opportunities for corruption and increase transparency and accountability in Moldova’s customs and police administration

Montenegro
ICITAP began supporting police development in Montenegro in 2005 with a program focused on organized crime and trafficking in persons. ICITAP's training and technical assistance continues in law enforcement education reform and training, community policing, forensics, and the fight against organized crime and corruption.

Serbia*
ICITAP began providing training and technical assistance to Serbia in 2004, with a focus on building the capacity to fight organized crime. ICITAP also supports the development of an antiterrorism unit and an undercover unit within Serbia's Criminal Investigation Directorate. In collaboration with the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training, ICITAP is developing an anticorruption program to help Serbia’s investigative bodies identify, apprehend, and help prosecute those responsible for corruption.

Tajikistan
ICITAP has provided assistance in police reform and institutional development in Tajikistan since 2004. Working with the State Department and other partners, ICITAP helped establish a drug control agency to enhance Tajikistan's antinarcotics trafficking effort. ICITAP has also provided training and technical assistance to help improve intelligence analysis capabilities, and has assisted in equipping and training forensics and border control professionals.

Ukraine*
Since 2005, ICITAP has worked with Ukraine’s Ministry of Interior to improve its information technology capabilities through the development of software, hardware, and tele­communications. ICITAP's work strengthens the capacity of Ukraine's law enforcement to conduct effective criminal investigations and combat corruption. ICITAP is also working on regulatory reform in trade and transportation issues and on helping the government of Ukraine develop an integrated information system for cross-border shipments.

U.S.–GUAM
Since 2004, ICITAP has contributed to a regional law enforcement development program as part of the U.S.–GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova) Framework Program, a program that assists the Organization of Democracy and Economic Development–GUAM to promote cooperation within the Black and Caspian Sea corridor running between Russia and members of the Euro-Atlantic community to the west. ICITAP has helped develop GUAM’s Virtual Law Enforcement Center, which links the four member countries through a secure video and criminal information network. ICITAP has also helped facilitate GUAM’s Trade and Transportation Facilitation Initiative, which has helped strengthen security and customs processing at the countries’ borders.

Past Programs

Bulgaria
ICITAP worked with the Bulgarians from 2003 to 2007 as part of the Regional Criminal Justice Initiative—an effort to improve coordination among police, prosecutors, and judges in the prosecution of criminal cases, including organized crime and corruption cases. ICITAP also provided technical assistance in the development of community policing programs.

Kazakhstan
ICITAP began work in Kazakhstan in the late 1990s as part of the effort to support law enforcement reform in the newly independent (former Soviet Union) states. ICITAP helped introduce community policing and develop the police academy. From 2005–2007, ICITAP provided technical assistance in the area of trafficking in persons.