BAGHDAD, Iraq,March 22, 2004 — More than 130 Iraqi Police Service officers are undergoing advanced investigative training in the field of forensics investigations, according to Coalition Provisional Authority officials.

The officers departed over the past two days for the United Arab Emirates for a three-week forensics training course.

During their training, the officers will focus on the recovery and preservation of evidence from the scenes of crimes such as burglaries, vehicle crimes and offenses against the person.

The training is being provided by German trainers sent by the government of Germany, which has donated a forensics kit for each of the Iraq trainees for use in investigating crimes against Iraqis.

The government of the UAE is providing transportation for the officers to the training facility.

"Our goal is to leave for the Iraqi people a well trained, effective police force that respects the human rights of all Iraqis," said Steve Casteel, Coalition Provisional Authority senior advisor to the Ministry of Interior. "This advanced forensics training will greatly improve the ability of the Iraqi Police Service to effectively investigate crimes, both large and small in scale."

The advanced forensics training is just one of the IPS training programs. Approximately 1,500 newly-hired Iraqi police officers have graduated from their basic eight-week training course and are undergoing 24 weeks of on-the-job field training. In addition, approximately 12,000 already-serving officers have undergone a Transition and Integration Program training course emphasizing human rights and policing in a democratic society.

Following the graduation of this first forensics class in three weeks, a second class of about 100 students will commence training at the same location.