Military Police contains information about military police functions in maneuver and mobility support, area security, law and order, internment/resettlement, and police intelligence operations.
Issue link: https://militarypolice.epubxp.com/i/567773
Fall 2015 23 Ministry of Interior and the North At- lantic Treaty Organization training mis- sion, the academy and laboratory provide training and mentorship and process evidence for the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior Criminal Techniques Directorate in support of Afghanistan's national jus- tice sector strategy. Initially, ACTA instructors were from the United States; however, the long- range plan called for Afghan trainees to work as assistant instructors and even- tually take the lead in instruction. Dur- ing the frst ACTA session, 16 Afghan National Police students were trained for new regional and national forensic labo- ratories. The training is conducted 6 days a week for 2 months and covers the disci- plines of latent prints, frearms and tool marks, forensic photography, and docu- ment and digital exploitation. A mentor- ship program was also arranged so that the support of the Afghan forensic ex- aminers could continue after graduation from the ACTA. The ACTA is also capable of processing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and training stu- dents in that area. The initial training was scheduled for 2 years, and four Afghans, all with science-based Ph.Ds., were chosen as the frst DNA students. The primary missions of the ACTA program include building, equipping, and supplying Afghan forensic facili- ties; training and mentoring examiners for Afghan regional forensic laboratories and the Afghan central laboratory; and developing Afghan forensic instructors for the ACTA. These missions provided a great opportunity to build a path to re- liable and enduring Afghan forensics capabilities. Forensic evidence in the courtroom can represent the scientifc truth regardless of the sex, age, or social status of the defendant. Forensics can be used to identify the guilty and, perhaps more importantly, to exonerate the innocent and serve as a deterrent to potential criminals. Before 2010, many Afghan judges considered forensic evi- dence to be voodoo magic. Forensic science can be confusing and diffcult, making it a complicated subject to present to an audience with no background in the science. 4 It was ex- pected that the judges' unfamiliarity with forensic evidence would tremendously impact the comprehension. The solu- tion for overcoming the confusion associated with forensic evidence was educating Afghan experts on how to clearly express technical scientifc information to presiding judges. In addition, the integration of the science to the new Afghan legal system needed to be addressed. The training of Afghan forensic examiners and profes- sionals in the Afghan justice system resulted in a dramatic turn in the use of forensic evidence at the Justice Center in Parwan. When establishing training for Afghan judges, a great deal of care was taken to ensure that the program was led by Afghans, demonstrations were performed by Afghans, and the training was conducted in or near the ACTA (which was advertised as a fully functioning forensic facility). The Afghan forensic examiners started each training period with quotes from the Koran. For example, the Koran (75:4) re- lates a story in which Allah brings a man back to life after death using just the unique tip of the man's fnger. In the United States, scientifc evidence generally de- pends on the judge's determination of the type of forensic evidence used and on the expert's qualifcations. These stan- dards are not valid in Afghanistan because there has been little historical use of forensic evidence in the legal system. 5 There, forensic evidence is typically fully admitted or fully excluded based on the training, experience, and opinion of the Afghan judge. Some Afghan judges may be comfortable with the science of forensic evidence and accept it without prejudice; others are frustrated with the science and refuse to accept it altogether. 6 Both extremes need to be addressed as the educational process of introducing forensic evidence to the entire country of Afghanistan continues. Although the initial fndings are positive, long-term research conducted over the next several years and decades will provide a better idea about the overall success of the program and its effect on the national rule of law. Afghan judges in the Parwan District are now demand- ing forensic evidence. Results of logistic regression analysis, with verdict as the criterion, indicate that, when forensic ev- idence is presented, a conviction is more than twice as likely and sentences are typically much longer compared to cases without forensic evidence. It is clear that the introduction Evidence collection room