Washington Sakhalin Law Enforcement Partnership

Program Overview

The Washington – Sakhalin Law Enforcement Partnership (WSLEP) is a training and exchange program sponsored by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) in the U.S. Department of State. Since 2000, the WSLEP partnership has provided Russian and American police officers with hands-on training opportunities designed to address emerging public safety issues in the Russian Far East and in Washington State.

Program Goals

Expose key leaders in targeted Russian communities to American law enforcement practices, training methodologies, and concepts of the rule of law.

Build upon and expand the strong personal connections and burgeoning professional network among law enforcement personnel on Sakhalin Island and the western United States.

Provide training and exchange opportunities for UVD and state and local agencies in the U.S. on topics such as the use of force, juvenile justice, public safety, leadership development, and community partnerships.

Develop and adapt training curricula for use at Russian police training academies.

Facilitate discussion and dialogue between the police, security firms, city and regional administration, and oil and gas companies on critical issues of mutual concern regarding public safety and security on Sakhalin Island.

Program History

The Washington-Sakhalin Law Enforcement Partnership has grown in size and scope since its informal beginning in 1995. The program started with a personal relationship between police officers from the Sakhalin Department of Internal Affairs (Upravlenie Vnutrenikh Del – UVD) and the Olympia Police Department (Olympia, WA). Olympia Police Sergeant Keith Thuline conceived the idea after traveling to Sakhalin Island as part of a Little League Baseball Exchange.

Since 2000, WSLEP has exchanged seventy-nine law enforcement personnel and trained over 250 UVD personnel on Sakhalin Island. INL will continue to fund the program through June 2008.

Sakhalin Law Enforcement Officer Showing Gas Mask

The program has evolved from a grassroots exchange into a formal and dynamic, law enforcement cooperative network that will improve the Sakhalin UVD’s capacity to manage growing public safety concerns. American specialists have conducted community-oriented policing training, as well as targeted workshops on multi-agency coordination, facility security, tactics and defense training, and youth crime prevention. The emphasis of the effort is on collaboration and cooperation.

FRAEC Law Enforcement Partners

Sakhalin Regional Department of Internal Affairs. The Sakhalin UVD performs all law enforcement functions in Sakhalin Oblast, which includes the Island of Sakhalin and the surrounding archipelago. The UVD is part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, headquartered in Moscow. The main functions of the UVD include maintenance of public order and criminal investigation for the entire Sakhalin Island region.

The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien, Washington operates the basic police academy for the state of Washington and trains law enforcement officers, corrections officers, and other public safety personnel from all over the state. Trainees receive the knowledge and skills necessary for safe, proper, and effective public safety services. The instructional training curriculum includes: Criminal Law and Procedures; Traffic Enforcement; Cultural Awareness; Communication Skills; Emergency Vehicle Operations Course; Firearms; Crisis Intervention; Patrol Procedures; Criminal Investigation; and Defensive Tactics.

The Western Regional Institute for Community Oriented Public Safety in Spokane, Washington provides training, develops training curriculum, and conducts on-site public safety assessments utilizing a team of local government officials, citizen representatives and law enforcement professionals. The institute is a five-state partnership of Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. It involves police and sheriff associations, criminal justice training academies, and universities.

The Olympia, Washington Police Department is the charter partner in this innovative program. Seventy sworn officers and a staff of ten corrections officers, twenty civilian support staff, and over forty volunteers serve a growing community of more than 42,000 residents.

The Washington State Patrol shoulders broad responsibilities for traffic enforcement, felony and misdemeanor investigations, forensic laboratories, and criminal intelligence services for the State of Washington. The Patrol is interested in developing relationships with their counterparts in Sakhalin to better understand organized criminal activities that impact both the Northwest and the Russian Far East.