Red Rat asked, cited in part:
When assessing police elements from a different policing culture and in a COIN/Stabilisation context are there any useful police specific assessment criteria that we should be seeking to capture? Response times and detection rates are probably not relevant, but what is?
There some standard police items that need to be checked:

  1. Where is everyone? How many are on duty and how many away (sick, courses, leave and holidays)?
  2. Are they being paid regularly and fully? IIRC this was a constant issue for years in Afghanistan.
  3. What is the level of personal police kit seen compared to the stated provision? Simple things like torches, batteries (esp. for their radios), handcuffs or restraints, notebooks, cameras, maps, property bags etc.
  4. What vehicles does the unit have and how many actually work?
  5. What equipment is held at unit level (platoon and higher) at their bases and in vehicles? Computers, secure property storage (for exhibits and especially documents found), riot control items (notably CS gas etc) and to stop vehicles at check points.
  6. What is used for communications? Phones or radios. Personal or official.
  7. What is the level of preparation and training for the unusual demand for their commitment? Can they deploy effectively locally, in the adjacent town or further afield. Handle VIP visits, public disorder, searching after a prison escape and civil disaster - I am mindful of the potential following the Mosul dam failing.
  8. What training opportunities exist, either in-house, locally or further away?
  9. How flexible are they? The ability to adjust rapidly is essential and some of this reflects preparation, training and above confidence in themselves alongside their commanders.
  10. How do they deal with the public - not leaders - and particularly those who dissent or who are detained?
  11. It will be important to know, assuming stabilization is underway, whether the court system is working. If not then and unlikely to adjustment is needed. Evidence may not matter much and instead information / intelligence and "gut" feeling may dominate.
  12. How do they learn? Can they identify gaps in their professional and local knowledge?