Military Police

FALL 2015

Military Police contains information about military police functions in maneuver and mobility support, area security, law and order, internment/resettlement, and police intelligence operations.

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24 MILITARY POLICE and use of forensic evidence is making an impact. The key point is that the terrorists whom Soldiers and police risk their lives to detain are being placed behind bars and kept there because of forensic evidence. In a region that often measures success in centuries, this is nothing short of re- markable. Data from the research included adult and juvenile de- fendants; exact ages were not recorded by the Afghan courts. Although not directly connected to forensic evidence, a com- parison of these two groups seemed logical. The results were interesting. Juveniles were charged the same as adults for most common articles—Article 19, Membership in Terror- ist Organization; Article 14, Use of Explosives and Other Lethal Devices. In fact, there was only one juvenile case in which another article was considered. The processed data indicated that adults were nearly three times more likely to be convicted than juveniles, and cases involving adults resulted in sentences twice as long as those involving juve- niles. In a proper rule of law system, one would expect all groups to be treated equally. This research indicated an in- equality between adult defendants and juvenile defendants that cannot be clearly explained. It could be surmised that this inequality is a result of regional cultural beliefs that juveniles are not fully responsible agents and, therefore, should be treated with leniency. Further research would be required to validate this hypothesis. The enduring success of the forensic evidence program in Afghanistan is uncertain at best. As with any democratic law enforcement system, the success lies in the trust of the population. If 5 percent of the processed forensic evidence from the new Afghan forensic laboratory is unreliable, then the percentage might as well be 100. As in the United States, the deplor- able actions of just one or two people in a law enforcement agency can bring down the reputation of a whole depart- ment. All possible precautions should be taken to avoid this risk. With this pro- gram in its infancy, minor errors can be- come fatal. The goal of the program is not just to introduce forensics to Afghani- stan; it is to prevail with enduring and dependable capabili- ties. This is the area where forensic men- tors are required. A team of forensic specialists designs and guides programs that put foreign laboratories on the path to international accreditation un- der standards issued by the International Organization for Standardization. This helps ensure the reliability and com- patibility of forensic evidence. Achieving international ac- creditation is a long process that requires solid management skills (such as strategic planning, budgeting, and the admin- istration of a professional quality assurance program). The requirement includes senior forensic advisors who are ex- perienced laboratory managers. They mentor Afghan exam- iners in all aspects of laboratory management and through all phases of the accreditation process. The quality and reli- ability of Afghan examiners are the keys to spreading the forensic training to the regional Afghan judges. Recommendations With the proper introduction and training, forensic evi- dence was accepted in one small district in Afghanistan. The use of forensic evidence signifcantly affected all major outcome and criterion variables. Therefore, justice rule of law was improved and the specifc forensics program was a success. It may be inferred that because the effort to introduce forensic evidence to support the creation of a new legal ethic in the country was supported, this project may serve as a model for other courts throughout Afghanistan. The result may be the development of a modern, consistently applied system of scientifc forensics that may be duplicated in other districts to improve security in Afghanistan and other countries in the Middle East with developing rule of law judicial systems. Around the world, struggling rule of law systems (Ethiopia, Argentina, Domin- ican Republic, Kenya, Liberia, Uganda, Nigeria, Venezuela) DNA training room

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