Tajikistan police learn community policing and more in Maryland

Towson, MD – High ranking police officials from Tajikistan are returning home with some extra skills learned while visiting Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions (MPCTC) in Sykesville.

The group of top law enforcement officials from the Central Asian country spent the day being trained on police and correctional techniques used here in Maryland.

The country, which borders Afghanistan and China, is in the middle of police reform.

After a recent coup attempt in the country, and an attack of a police station left police officers dead, officials turned to a “community policing” concept with help from their U.S. allies. Tajiki police officials are hoping to take some of the community policing training they learned in Maryland back to their 18,000 member police force.

The chief of police training for the country, Sharifzoda Faizali Rahmon, feels it’s the key to reform and unity. “Your experiences here show that community policing is very effective and it works. The community is integrated with police and you have a lot of successful and best practices.”

While most officers in Tajikistan currently do not carry weapons, the group received some one on one simulated weapons training.