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Police
THREE
NATIONS - ONE POLICE FORCE
Viking 99 is the perfect setting for an international
police force. Civilian police officers from three countries will
work side by side during Viking 99 and co-operate with armed forces
officers from 24 countries and a number of civilian organisations.
Photo: Lars Hedelin/PIC Viking
99
Ready for co-operation and training. German Civilian Police
Colonel Adalbert Gross in front of a part of the multi-national
Viking 99 Police Force. From left: Swiss Police Officer Alexander
Küfter, Swiss Colonel Jacques Baud, Swedish Chief of Staff,
Superintendent Nils-Henrik Roskvist, and Swiss Inspector Robert
Clément.
Photo:
Lars Hedelin/PIC Viking 99
German Civilian Police Colonel
Adalbert Gross is convinced that a computer assisted exercise
like Viking 99 provides participants with a lot of useful
knowledge and experience. "It is interesting to learn how the
military forces and other participants work", he
says. |
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In Bosnia,
Kosovo, Albania, East Timor, Western Sahara and other places
where international operations have been conducted, civil
police have been important participants from the very
start.Tasks they perform include; monitoring, training, advice
to local police authorities as well as investigations
concerning violations of human rights, as in cases of torture
and harassment of dissidents. During Viking 99 the 18
participating civilian police officers are receiving training
in these areas. There are 15 Swedes, three Swiss and one
German, some of whom became acquainted while participating in
previous international missions. |
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Photo: Lars Hedelin/PIC Viking 99
"There
is a common view of police work and police force tasks among
police officers from different countries", Swedish
Superintendent Peter Lundström says.
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As members of a peace keeping operation the civil
police officers mainly try to get the local police to do their
job according to internationally accepted
standards.
"The big difference is that these operations are much
more difficult and we operate in a tense environment. We also
co-operate with police and military forces from other
countries as well as civilian organisations", says
Superintendent Peter Lundström, Head of Swedish Foreign Police
Operations.
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Many of
the participants feel that Viking 99 will provide important
experience in co-operation, as well as faciliating the development
of new international contacts and training in decision-making.
German
Civilian Police Colonel Adalbert Gross is convinced that a computer
assisted exercise like Viking 99 provides participants with
increased knowledge and experience: "It is interesting to learn how
the military forces and other participants work." Swiss Police
Officer Alexander Küfter and Swiss Inspector Robert Clément agree
with him. They really appreciate the international contact and feel
sure that they can take something home with them. "Meeting
colleagues from other countries is important", Alexander Küfter
says.
Chief
of Staff, Swedish Superintendent Nils-Henrik Roskvist, served in
Civilian Police forces in former Yugoslavia for three years and
before that in Gaza and Cyprus. He stresses the importance of
co-operation. Superintendent Nils-Henrik Roskvist comments, "An
exercise like this is good for developing methods of co-operation
and training."
Peter Svensson / PIC Viking 99
Updated:
1999-11-25, Point of
Contact
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