Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Jan. 12 / Trend H. Hasanov /
The methods of criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department are included in the basic training course for law enforcement agencies of Turkmenistan - the staff of the Prosecutor General, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Service on Drugs, the U.S. embassy in Ashgabat said.
Education, organized and financed by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement of the U.S. Department of State (INL), consists of basic and advanced elements.
One-week basic course focuses on the study of fingerprints, traces of shoes, preparing the plan for the incident, digital photography, the order of keeping evidence and concrete case study.
"In this course we hope that the exchange of ideas and approaches will give each of you new perspectives and methods, Charge d'Affaires of the U.S embassy in Turkmenistan, Sylvia Curran said before the courses. Advanced training will be scheduled closer to late 2010 as a continuation of the basic course.
The purpose of education is to improve the quality of evidence received by the system of forensic laboratories. The International Program for the Promotion of Training in Criminal Investigation intends to improve the quality of evidence used in court cases in Turkmenistan with the help of these courses, as well as its ongoing program to promote a forensic laboratory. Better quality of physical evidence will ultimately reduce the need to rely on witness testimony in court proceedings.
Training will be concentrated on three specific phases of the judicial process: collection, keeping and documentation of evidence for further consideration. Each of these steps is essential in thorough investigation of crimes, identifying suspects, and presentation of cases in the court. In fact, the scene of the crime, as well as investigator's work at the scene of the crime play a significant role in revealing the most serious income.