VZCZCXRO3830
RR RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #0340 0891201
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301201Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9786
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 2265
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0345
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 2006
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC 1384
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1831

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000340 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
S/CRS 
INL FOR KEVIN BROWN, DIANNE GRAHAM AND MEAGAN MCBRIDE 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PHUM HA
SUBJECT: 20TH POLICE PROMOTION GRADUATES WITH MIXED MESSAGE 
 
¶1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified - please protect 
accordingly. 
¶2. (U) SUMMARY: On February 27, the Haitian National Police (HNP) 
graduated its 20th Promotion of 702 police officers, including 86 
women. While speeches by the Prime Minister and the Minister of 
Justice focused on recent improvements in the country, HNP Director 
General Andresol spoke very critically of the country's situation 
and its lack of rule of law. END SUMMARY. 
¶3. (U) Following seven months of training, 702 new police officers 
graduated on February 27 from the National Police Academy. In 
addition to guests of the new graduates, attending were Prime 
Minister Pierre-Louis (PM), Minister of Justice Exume (MoJ), 
Director General of the HNP Andresol (DG), and representatives from 
the diplomatic corps and the United Nations Stabilization Force 
(MINUSTAH). 
 
¶4. (U) Speeches made by PM Pierre-Louis, DG Andresol, MoJ Exume and 
Academy Director Maxime noted the community policing and human 
rights components of the training, as well as the increasing 
participation of women. All indicated that the police should find 
new ways of engaging with the community. The 20th promotion 
graduated 86 women out of the 702 in total, while the 21st promotion 
of 460 currently in training includes 127 women. In addition, a 
special office dealing with the recruitment of women has been 
created within the HNP. The addition of these officers brings the 
strength of the HNP to approximately 9,500, still far short of the 
goal agreed with MINUSTAH of 14,000 by 2011.  Recent expansion of 
Academy facilities by the U.S. and Canada now allows for two 
promotions to be trained simultaneously, offering hope that the HNP 
will be able to reach its goal by the end of 2011 and make up for 
the failure to graduate any cadets in 2008. 
 
¶5. (SBU) All speeches noted the commitment required of the new 
officers entering the line of duty.  The Academy Director singled 
out the USG to thank for its extensive support of each group of 
cadets.  However, while the other speakers spoke of recent 
improvements in the country's security situation, DG Andresol's 
remarks came across as very critical of the culture of impunity, of 
corruption, and the absence of rule of law in Haiti. His words, 
painting a gloomy picture, were a strong warning to the new 
graduates of the difficulties they would encounter. These remarks, 
whether driven by personal frustration or by a genuine assessment of 
the path ahead, stood in stark contrast to the cheery mood of the 
ceremony. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: The HNP's increase in manpower is welcome, 
especially given the USG's investments in the training and 
deployment of police officers. Nevertheless, despite significant 
improvements in Haiti's overall security situation during the past 
three years, Andresol's remarks serve as a reminder that much work 
remains for improving both policing and the judicial system, 
especially in the historically dangerous neighborhoods of 
Port-au-Prince. Notwithstanding the dramatic improvements in the 
once-notorious Cite Soleil slum, where 100 of the new police 
graduates are to be assigned, GOH nervousness over the threat of 
potentially violent protests there was sufficient to briefly 
postpone the inauguration of the USG-funded Police Commissariat and 
the deployment of the graduates. The inauguration is now scheduled 
for March 25th. 
 
SANDERSON