Nepal: ICITAP Supports Constitution by Developing Provincial Law Enforcement

On November 9, ICITAP completed a one-week U.S. study tour in the State of California for a senior-level Nepalese delegation to explore ways to develop Provincial Level Policing Organizations in support of Nepal’s 2015 Constitution. The high-level delegation from Gandaki Province observed multi-jurisdictional policing, the relationship between the political leaderships and Police leadership, and finally an opportunity to visit a rural Police organization in Placer County, California. While in Los Angeles, the group had the opportunity to meet with the FBI Los Angeles Field Office to discuss countering international crime, as well as receive a briefing from the extraterritorial section on Task Force Operations between federal, state and local law enforcement. The group was also received briefings from the Los Angeles Police Department on how a large Police organization operates in a city with smaller city police organizations within the same jurisdiction. The LAPD command staff provided the briefings and had a good discussion with the Nepal delegation on a number of policing topics. The group also had the opportunity to meet with an LAPD Civilian Oversight Commission, as well as to observe a hearing where the general public participated and raised concerns over a number of policing issues. The LA trip was concluded with a meeting with the Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles in charge of law enforcement issues, who explained the role of the Mayor’s Office with the supervision and oversight of LAPD. In Sacramento, the delegation had an opportunity to meet with the Executive Director and senior staff of the California Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (POST) to discuss how the POST commission operates and how the training standards are developed and regulated by the commission. The delegation also met with the California Attorney General’s Office of Law Enforcement to discuss multi-jurisdictional police issues, forensic laboratory services in California, as well as meeting with a California DOJ Prosecutor to discuss their role in the legal process. The final visit was to the Placer County Sheriff’s office, where the group received briefings on rural policing by the command staff as well as with an elected official from the Board of Supervisors. The delegation returned to Nepal with a wealth of information and an interest in moving forward with the development of the first Provincial Police Organization in Nepal. In partnership with U.S. Department of State, ICITAP will continue to support the Gandaki Province with the development of its provincial police, and through the leadership of the province also help other provinces with the development of their Police.