Diyala police begin construction on new training station

by Pfc. Paul J. Harris

$5,000 worth of supplies for the new Diyala Police Training Center were delivered Sunday from 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Lightning, Police Transition Team.

Soldiers from 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Lightning, Police Transition Team drop supplies off at the new Diyala Police Training Center. The center is being built by Iraqis with funding from coalition forces. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Paul J. Harris, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, Oct. 15, 2006)

Plans for the station were developed in early 2005 but due to the high volume of improvised explosive devices that insurgents were planting along the road that leads to Khan Bani Saad or Baghdad through Baqubah the Iraqi Police did not want to move in before adequate force protection measures were taken.

The PTT was able to handle that request by delivering supplies such as Hesco baskets, concertina wire and sand bags to aid in the security of the center.

According to Maj. Harvinder Singh, executive officer, Police Transition, 3rd HBCT, $181,000 has been spent on the Diyala police force this past year by the PTT alone.

"To improve electricity, plumbing, building small projects, generators whatever else they may need to get something done a bit better," Singh said.

The Diyala Police currently have a training facility in downtown Baqubah but the facility is only able to train 15 policemen a week. When the new center is fully operational Singh believes it could train 75 to 100 personnel a week and house an additional 200 officers.

Maj. Harvinder Singh, native of Littleton, Colo., executive officer, Police Transition Team, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Lightning, stands on the building of the new Diyala Police Training Center overlooking Diyala University. According to Singh, the center will be able to train 100 officers per week once it is complete. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Paul J. Harris, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, Oct. 15, 2006)

The new center will have multiple ranges for different weapon types, classrooms, a shoot house for training on clearing houses and a simulated vehicle inspection point.

Singh has seen an improvement in the 10 months he has been associated with the Diyala Police and PTT and this new center with the training it can provide the Iraqi Police will only make them better.

"They were able to improve upon their rule of law," Singh said. "When we first got here there were 500 prisoners in their provincial system. (Due process) is a lot faster now, before prisoners could spend five days to months (in jail) now they can process a prisoner in less than 48 hours."

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