NCJ Number
182203
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 47 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2000 Pages: 361-365
Date Published
February 2000
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the activities of international peace-keepers in Kosovo.
Abstract
United Nations member nations have been asked to send personnel to Kosovo to act as a temporary armed civil police force and to train a newly conceived local police force. Because it does not have a national police force, the United States contracts with private corporations to provide individuals who have the appropriate education, training and experience for such assignments. Most are former police officers, but in some cases active officers obtain a leave of absence to serve with the UN detachment. This article describes one man’s experiences as a member of the Kosovo group. The assignment appears to have been both unpleasant and unrewarding. Incomplete immunization before leaving the U.S., unpleasant and unsanitary living conditions in Kosovo and lack of coordination among the instruction staff were a few of the difficulties. Each nation seemed to have had its own criteria for selecting instructors, and the Americans did not use their backgrounds and training for any practical purposes. The trainers’ frustration level was high and morale was low, and it remained that way for the 11 weeks of the project.