It芒鈧劉s a long way from the green and pleasant land of 91原创 to modern Jerusalem, but it芒鈧劉s a journey one of 91原创芒鈧劉s top RCMP officers will make next month.
Supt. Derek Cooke, since 2009 the officer in charge of the local Mounties, is taking up an international challenge.
The RCMP undertakes a number of missions overseas as part of UN groups, humanitarian missions, or to train new police forces.
芒鈧揑芒鈧劉ve always thought that it would be a tremendous experience to be involved with one of those before I retire,芒鈧� Cooke told the 91原创 Advance.
However, he joked that he芒鈧劉s a bit of a 芒鈧損rincess,芒鈧� who likes hot food and showers, and isn芒鈧劉t too fond of dealing with spiders in a tent. So he was reluctant to take on a peacekeeping mission in a developing part of the world.
Then an opportunity came up to work in Israel and the Palestinian territories, based out of Jerusalem.
It was a developed part of the world with an amazing history and cultures.
However, due to the periodic violence in parts of the country, there was some hesitation on Cooke芒鈧劉s part.
芒鈧揟here was a lot of soul searching involved,芒鈧� he said.
That was last winter, when he applied for the new position after talking things over with his wife and daughters.
Now he芒鈧劉s glued to CNN and other news channels as one of the worst spates of violence in years grips Israel and the the Palestinian Territory. Hamas has been launching rockets into Israel, causing few casualties but much panic. In response, the Israeli military has been attacking the homes of suspected Hamas members or their launch sites in Gaza. As of mid-week, 207 Palestinians had been killed and one Israeli had died.
The violence hasn芒鈧劉t affected his decision to go, but Cooke芒鈧劉s family isn芒鈧劉t likely to come for a visit unless things quiet down and return to the local version of 芒鈧搉ormal,芒鈧� he said.
Jerusalem itself, where he芒鈧劉ll be based, is a relatively safe zone. As with any region seeing crime or violence, there are usually safer areas, Cooke noted.
Cooke won芒鈧劉t be involved with any kind of military or directly diplomatic efforts.
He will be the lone RCMP representative on Operation Proteus, a Canadian Armed Forces mission that is working with the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) in Jerusalem.
Proteus and the USSC are working to support the Palestinian Authority Security Forces, the police within Gaza and the West Bank.
芒鈧揑芒鈧劉m really looking forward to the opportunity,芒鈧� said Cooke.
Cooke will be working with Canadian diplomats as well as the Palestinian police. He芒鈧劉ll be advising his Palestinian counterparts and will be helping them build up their capacity, offering any advice that will help them create a modern police force with a solid basis in human rights and up to date techniques.
One of the past projects of the Canadian government has been to establish a crime lab in the Palestinian Authority, Cooke noted.
Even when countries are in a state of war, they have to deal with all the normal policing problems of any society 芒鈧�� theft, fraud, domestic violence, and other issues.
Cooke said he won芒鈧劉t be there to dictate how things should be run, but simply to offer advice and expertise where it is most helpful.
He notes on an issue like domestic violence, over the past decade the RCMP has done a lot of work to improve how it deals with that issue. If asked, he can help.
The mission will be a plainclothes and unarmed position for the RCMP officer.
Cooke is already halfway to his deployment, as he芒鈧劉s in an intensive training session in Ottawa.
芒鈧揂 lot of cultural training,芒鈧� he said of what he芒鈧劉s going through. He芒鈧劉s learning how to interact in what will be his home for the next year.
芒鈧揅ertainly I芒鈧劉m hoping to pick up a bit of Arabic,芒鈧� Cooke said, but he simply doesn芒鈧劉t have enough time to do a crash course and become anywhere near fluent in the language. He芒鈧劉ll have translators to work with in the West Bank.
He芒鈧劉s also studying a lot of procedures and policies, and brushing up on his emergency medical training.
