Somalia Police Force

Previous to the Somalia civil war the Somalia National Police had 15,000 officers and a well-

deserved reputation for professionalism, fairness, and clan neutrality. The SNP fell to the scope

of Somalia’s martial factions and increasing violence in Mogadishu. Even with a Defense

Department contribution of 353 vehicles, 5,000 M-16 rifles, 5,000 pistols, uniforms, equipment,

and U.S. money for police salaries. The Current struggle to establish, properly train and equip a

federal police force in the Afghanistan Theater of operations and lessons learned in establishing a

functional Iraq police Force indicate that a preliminary assessments of current Somalia law

enforcement capability is essential to U.S. planning and objectives in the area.

Traditionally U.S. military forces have been ineffective or reluctant to perform police functions

to control large-scale civil unrest. Military Support of Stability, Security, Transition, and

Reconstruction, Defense Department Directive 3000.05 of September 16, 2009, states that

proper planning and execution of the post-combat phase of operations is essential to victory

and the rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces.

It instructs the U.S. military to Integrate stability operations tasks and considerations into their

Theater Campaign Plans, theater strategies, and applicable Department of Defense directed

plans. Align DoD theater strategies and plans with complementary stability operations-related

capabilities, strategies, and plans of other U.S. Government agencies, foreign government and

security forces, and the private sector, as they mature and capacity increases.

So far, training for the Somalia Police has been an international effort. Training is

sponsored b...

... middle of paper ...

...rest, undermined popular support for a military intervention and

endan¬gered the success of the mission. From U.S. experience, developing an effective

police organization and training a police force is resource-intensive and take years under

ideal conditions. The police force in Somalia is in an emerging state with the support of

several international organizations providing technical and monetary support through several

different channels and at varying levels.

Works Cited

(Jane’s Sentinel Country Risk Assessment (JSCRA), Somalia, Security and Foreign Forces,

updated 27 October 2011)

UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on Somalia, 30 December 2010,

http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/414F81B653F303868525781500789A75-

Full_Report.pdf Date accessed 16 March 2012

Somalia Report 2012 http://somaliareport.com