Posted on 03/18/2008 12:48:43 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Walth wanted an adventure and something different, so he joined a group of International Police Advisors in Iraq to train Iraqi police officers on community policing. Training Iraqi police officers in a war zone is a job unlike any other mission he has taken and has significant differences from training deputies at the Lancaster Sheriff's Station.
"As much training as we received before going over there, it's still an eye-opener when (an explosive attack) happens right in front of you," Walth said.
Walth believes the challenges he encountered in Iraq will be useful to him as a sheriff's deputy.
"I have already received a lot of training and experiences that are going to be really helpful when I come back as a training officer here, because the obstacles of training over there are so much greater than the obstacles I thought I faced here," he said.
"Now these things don't even seem to be problematic compared to over there, where you are working with an interpreter and wondering whether the interpreter is actually conveying the thoughts you want to have translated," he said. "Because of that it's going to help me a lot when I come back."
A friend who is an Iraqi told Walth about his personal experience with training Iraqi police officers. Interested in doing the same, Walth, 44, looked into the requirements needed to become a training officer with U.S. State Department in Iraq.
"I wanted to something adventurous," Walth said. "The more I investigated it, the more interested I became."
The State Department recruits officers for various contractors providing different policing services.
On leave for a year from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Walth joined an organization that conducts field training for Iraqi police officers.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is without a doubt the finest law enforcement agency in the nation.
Typical response from a con. Parole or probation?
Who do you think you're talking to?
Your dad?
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