The public space protection project begins training in Logroño

The Rural Action Unit (UAR) in Logroño has hosted the first activities of the European Public Spaces + project. Eight police officers from different police forces in Kenya have spent two weeks working closely with specialists from the Civil Guard’s UAR.

The aim of the project is to tackle new global threats and challenges in the fight against terrorism. To this end, over a period of three years, several training courses will be held for specialists from the police forces of Kenya, Senegal and Ghana.

Canine intervention units and snipers are an essential part of preventive deployments and tactical response in the protection of public spaces. For this reason, the first two training courses carried out were specifically designed to train trainers on canine intervention guides and precision shooters in public spaces.

The training courses for trainers in Spain have covered topics such as command and control, threat analysis, intervention dog guides and explosives detection, tactical first responders, tactical use of drones and counter-drones, precision shooters and tactical medicine, among others. In addition, there have been specific sessions on methodology, gender in policing and human rights.

Both the theoretical and practical training provided has been aimed at improving the police capabilities of partner countries in the field of preventing and responding to terrorist attacks in public spaces and at major events.

The training of dog handlers has included fictitious scenarios with the actual use of dogs and protective equipment in all kinds of situations, using protective material and equipment. For its part, the training of precision shooters includes aspects such as ballistics, safety and deployment in public spaces. In both training courses, the training manuals developed by the project in its previous phase have been used.

After two weeks of training, the Kenyan specialists return to their country as trainers, enabling them to deliver similar training courses on the same topics to other personnel involved in each of their police forces.