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London’s police chief defended the need for international training missions while outlining his new procedure for vetting trips abroad.
Chief Thai Truong briefed the city’s police services board on the new framework for vetting and approving trips by police employees outside Canada for training and conferences.
“If we’re trying to make sure that this community is safe . . . we have to see what is happening globally,” Truong said during a presentation at a board meeting Thursday. “Some of the best training is international training . . . Our priority is to make sure that our members get the best training.”
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The police board had directed Truong to present a framework for evaluating international trips for officers and civilian staffers after the force came under fire earlier this year for sending a team of tactical officers to compete in the 2024 UAE SWAT challenge in the United Arab Emirates, where teams accused of human-rights abuses and war crimes also participated.
Under the new process, division commanders will complete a risk assessment of all proposed international trips, except to the United States, and police will consult with both Western University and Global Affairs Canada to gain a better understanding of the geopolitical landscape and potential risks. Finally, Truong or one of his three deputy chiefs will have to give the green light to go.
“So, it’s a robust procedure. It’s a procedure that allows us to make informed decisions,” said Truong, who marked his one-year anniversary as the city’s police chief this month.
Truong came under fire for the Dubai trip because of the presence of two police units: the Akhmat Kadyrov special forces, a paramilitary organization from the Russian republic of Chechnya fighting against Ukraine in the war, and the Almaz anti-terrorism unit, a special unit from Belarus accused of violently suppressing anti-government protests following the country’s disputed 2021 election.
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He later apologized and said he wasn’t aware the two paramilitary forces would be competing at the 12-day event.
Truong acknowledged there will be challenges in guarding against a similar occurrence, but said the new procedure will help, noting commanders will reach out to organizers to ask questions as part of their reviews.
“Although we can’t control everybody that is attending, the questions that are raised allow us to make informed decisions,” he said.
“We’ll do our due diligence as best we can.”
The procedure drew praise from the seven-member police board.
“This is a very well-thought out, thorough policy,” Coun. Steve Lehman said. “In this world of highly complex political situations, this is a very challenging policy that you’ve drafted.”
dcarruthers@postmedia.com
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