Returning to 'Chaos Country' after some thought.

How mobile is the local population, how many live in urban settlements, roads and an endless list. Mapping human geography is important and something police officers learn slowly. Provide maps and teach how to read them. Not just stick pins in, although that can be valuable.

What level of person communication is used? Phone at one point were rare, then landline phones arrived - not for mass use and now mass use of mobile phones can be anticipated. Examples: Liberia, Somalia and Afghanistan. Mass communication can change very quickly.

Where and how do the police interact with the local population (different from the travelling communities e.g. truck drivers at roadblocks)? Often and a legacy from colonial times the police were the only adminstrative agency, from Ireland to Rhodesia i.e. inspection, registration and permit granting. Note for many years the police in Mogadishu remained respected.

What level of violence is traditionally used in conflict resolution? Touched upon in the Gendarmerie thread. In Rhodesia the BSAP were largely un-armed for a long period. Is evidence gathering used or just brute force?

Are there courts, let alone prisons? Well covered in JMM's posts and elsewhere IIRC. Even cells for arrested suspects.

With all these factors and different national, indeed international policing standards it is important in 'Chaos Country' to discard some and rapidly bring in others. Clearly robust digital cameras and mobile phones come to the fore.

Now back to my home country.

davidbfpo