Representatives of the State Police, the State Police College, and the State Provision Agency have made several visits abroad to gather information about teaching methods and approaches used by law enforcement colleagues in other countries in the process of police education, as well as to identify experiences, overcome challenges, and the latest trends related to the construction of tactical training center infrastructure.
“The project offers a unique opportunity to thoroughly identify and study the experience of foreign colleagues, analyze the information obtained about equipment capabilities and functionality. These visits allow us to anticipate and prevent potential shortcomings or deficiencies in advance and to obtain the most effective and high-quality solutions to be implemented in practice in the State Police and the State Police College. This undoubtedly helps to prepare the highest quality documentation to achieve our project goals and objectives,” emphasizes Ilze Balode, Senior Project Manager at the State Police College.
The European Union's Internal Security Fund project No. VP/IDF/2024/5 “Strengthening the State Police's Response Mobility and Counterterrorism Capabilities by Creating a Practical Training Center” aims to create a modern practical training center, including the purchase of a mobile container-type shooting range. It is planned that it can be placed on various types of surfaces in the territory of the State Police College and, if necessary, moved to any other training location, ensuring its sustainable use.
In order to be able to determine as accurately as possible both the needs of the State Police and the State Police College, as well as the requirements and trends of modern shooting ranges, representatives of the State Police and the State Police College visited Poland in August - they visited two shooting range manufacturers near Warsaw and Gdansk, as well as shooting ranges at the Warsaw Police Department and Ilawa Prison. During the visit, Latvian representatives were presented with various shooting ranges and their projects, given the opportunity to learn in detail about the materials used, lighting, ventilation systems, equipment, fixtures, targets, ballistic elements from which rooms can be built, video surveillance, etc.
In October, representatives of the State Police, the State Police College, and the State Provision Agency visited Dublin and Templemore, visiting the Garda structural unit and the Garda College of the Irish Police. During this visit, the functionality, capabilities, and equipment of modern police buildings and tactical training grounds were studied, which help to strengthen the effective cooperation of structural units. At the same time, representatives of the Irish police provided information about the training process and educational programs, etc.
These foreign visits help to more successfully develop and provide both effective and modern training courses and training methods, integrating the acquired knowledge into the development of non-formal educational programs, and to create a modern training infrastructure with a modern and well-equipped learning environment. At the same time, they provided an opportunity to promote international cooperation in order to continue organizing the mutual exchange of experience and knowledge among teachers and students.
Project No. VP/IDF/2024/5 “Strengthening the State Police's Response Mobility and Counterterrorism Capabilities by Creating a Practical Training Center” is being implemented within the framework of the European Union's Internal Security Fund for the 2021-2027 planning period, with the Ministry of the Interior as the managing authority in Latvia. The total project funding is 10,598,882 euros, of which 7,949,162 euros is from the European Union's Internal Security Fund, and 2,649,720 euros is from the state budget. Its implementation period is from 01.04.2024 to 31.12.2029.
