US embassy cable - 05PORTAUPRINCE928

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000928 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/WHA 
DS/DSS/ITA 
DSERCC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KCRM, HA 
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON HNP TRAINING AND CONTROL SYSTEMS 
 
REF: PAP 470 
 
Classified By: Ambassador James B. Foley, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
1. (C) Summary: In a set of written answers to questions 
submitted by post to the Director General (DG) of the Haitian 
National Police (HNP) on March 7, Leon Charles confirmed the 
process under which 200 ex-FADH were to integrate into the 
17th promotion in April, and outlined the verification 
process the international community and the HNP have for 
monitoring the testing, training and deployment of graduating 
cadets. The fleeting reply to requests for updates on human 
rights investigations demonstrate the HNP's inability to 
perform internal investigations. Charles also updated on 
weapons registration and HNP payroll. End summary. 
 
Charles reiterates IGOH line on ex-FADH in the HNP 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
2. (U) Charles verified that the 16th promotion would have 
roughly 370 graduating cadets, none of whom had a history of 
ex-FADH activity. (Note: According to post's liaison advisor 
to the HNP, the graduation of the 16th class has been delayed 
until April 18. End note). The DG reiterated that the IGOH 
planned to include roughly 200 ex-FADH in the 17th promotion, 
and stated again that those ex-FADH recruits would be 
expected to pass the entry examination, the same vetting 
standards, and undergo and successfully complete the same 
training as all the other recruits in the 17th promotion. The 
DG pledged that the ex-FADH members of the class will, upon 
graduation from the Police Academy, be deployed throughout 
Haiti on an individual basis, not kept together as a group. 
 
3. (U) Charles said the verification process for the testing, 
vetting, training of HNP cadets was a shared effort between 
the HNP and the international community. Members of the OAS 
team conduct the vetting of all applicants, he said, and 
oversee the entry exams. The team (which is funded by the 
U.S.) reports on the process directly to the Embassy Police 
Advisor. Training is carried out under the direction of 
MINUSTAH CIVPOL, while the HNP Chief of Staff and Director of 
Personnel oversee the deployment of cadets following 
graduation, including field verification to ensure cadets 
report to where they are posted. 
 
4. (U) The DG flatly denied rumors that the IGOH was creating 
a separate fighting force, saying there were no plans he was 
aware of to create a "military police" of any kind. He 
acknowledged that there had been suggestions of creating 
security officer or forest ranger positions as a way to 
supply employment for the ex-FADH entering the DDR process, 
but he said there had been no action taken to date on these 
suggestions. 
 
Internal Investigations 
----------------------- 
 
5. (C) Charles restated his support for Inspector General 
(IG) France Jean Francois, who also serves as the number two 
within the HNP organizational structure. There are six 
inspectors general who work together with investigators from 
UN CIVPOL to conduct joint investigations of sensitive 
incidents. The DG reported, for example, that the IG office 
finished two preliminary reports regarding the December 1 
prison riot and were expected to release a final report in 
March. (Note: The final report was not, in fact, released in 
March. UN CIVPOL investigators detailed to the HNP IG unit 
have told us before that the section is totally unable to 
complete thorough and professional crime scene investigations 
or respond to human rights allegations due to poor reporting 
and control (reftel). End note). Charles said the HNP had not 
concluded any investigation into allegations the HNP fired on 
peaceful protesters on February 28 and that he could not 
comment on the incident until a report was filed. 
 
Weapons control 
--------------- 
 
6. (C) Post requested Charles provide the policies and 
procedures the HNP is using to track the weapons (38 caliber 
pistols) the USG donated to graduating cadets. During 
training, the pistols are kept in a bunker near the Police 
Academy from where they are checked out and returned by each 
cadet during training. (Note: A member of the US CIVPOL 
contingent oversees the bunker and check-out process. End 
note). Once a cadet graduates, a weapon is assigned to him, 
and Charles states simply that the office of the Inspector 
General has the responsibility to periodically inspect and 
verify the weapons assigned. The DG says he has tasked the 
Director of Logistics to create a separate weapons inspection 
and maintenance program. 
 
7. (C) Note: UN CIVPOL has designed a weapons registration 
database system it intends to implement soon. Post has 
assisted in the creation of the process and the USG has 
provided funding for a ballistics tank that will be used to 
fingerprint all new weapons acquired by the HNP - and 
eventually current weapons as well. The HNP maintains a list 
of the serial numbers of weapons issued to all current 
officers, but at present there is no forensics system in 
place to match ballistics to any individual weapon. Officers 
who "lose" their weapons are not issued a new weapon until an 
investigation, approved by the DG, exonerates the officer. 
End note. 
 
HNP Payroll 
----------- 
 
8. (U) Finally, Charles reported that there are approximately 
5,200 people on the HNP payroll and the HNP is in the process 
of vetting the payroll to match the actual number of active 
officers in the field. He estimated that there are probably 
500-800 people on the payroll who will be "dismissed" at the 
conclusion of the investigation. The entire HNP received pay 
increases in July 2004 ranging from approximately 80% for 
agents to 65-70% for the commissar categories. 
 
FOLEY