Press Releases 2002

U.S. – Poland Letter of Agreement

13 November 2002

On November 13, Acting Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Paul Simons and Polish Interior Minister Krzysztof Janik signed a Letter of Agreement on law enforcement cooperation. The signing ceremony was in the Treaty Room at the Department of State.

Each of the projects contained in the Letter of Agreement (Anti-Corruption Curriculum Development, Combating International Organized Crime, Courtroom Security, Support to the Financial Intelligence Unit, and Police Modernization and Training) will address critical needs and allow Americans and Poles to work collaboratively. The total value of the assistance package is $1,318,708.

The Police Modernization and Training project will be the centerpiece of the State Department’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs assistance over the next two years. This “back to the basics” project will be conducted by the Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program. It will include a needs assessment and subsequent work to develop a training and assistance strategy, analyze existing internal control mechanisms, and develop applicable codes of ethics.

Other active projects include the United States Marshals Service’s Courtroom Security project and the Treasury Office of Technical Assistance project with the Department of Financial Information. The United States Marshals Service has conducted an initial assessment and is coordinating with Embassy Warsaw on a courtroom security training session. The Treasury Office of Technical Assistance’s regional advisor has been working with the Polish Financial Intelligence Unit to help Poland bring its anti-money laundering legislation in line with international standards and in organizing well-received training for financial intelligence unit analysts.

The Anti-Corruption Curriculum Development and Combating International Organized Crime projects will be implemented following the signing of the Letter of Agreement. The Anti-Corruption Curriculum project will fund an advisor to the Ministry of National Education and Sport to develop courses on such topics as professional responsibility, ethics, and public corruption for incorporation into curricula at secondary and professional schools and universities. The bulk of the funding for the Combating International Organized Crime project will be used to procure computer equipment for the Polish National Police Headquarters' Central Bureau of Investigation to support investigations and case management. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s International Training Division will provide expert advisory assistance in the area of investigating specific organized criminal activity to complement the equipment procurement.