Pretoria - A group of South Africa's top police officers is currently brushing up on its crisis response skills in the United States.
Members of the Special Task Force are in the US on a special training course. According to the US Embassy, the five-week course gives elite tactical officers the skills to resolve high risk confrontations with criminals and possible terror situations.
The course teaches officers how to use a number of means to deal with these situations, while focusing on the use of minimum force and protecting human life.
The police officers will receive hands-on outdoor firearm training, raid and assault simulations and other crisis response skills to be used in an urban environment.
For South African police, the training its officers will receive is a testament to their skills.
"This training recognises the calibre of our elite Special Task Force officers, and also the solid relationship law enforcement in South Africa has with the United States," SAPS Special Task Force Commander, Brigadier Lucky Mkhwanazi, said.
From the US perspective, the training programme represents the American government's commitment to its partnership with South Africa.
"Our partnership with the SAPS is robust, and this training reflects our solid bilateral relationship. We look forward to pursuing more partnership opportunities," said Charge d'Affaires Helen La Lime.
The training is part of the US State Department's Antiterrorism Assistance Programme, which since its launch in 1983, has trained more than 100 000 foreign law enforcement personnel from 160 countries.
According the US Embassy, the programme provides training and equipment to foreign law enforcement and security organisations to enhance their capabilities and capacity to detect, deter, counter, and investigate terrorist activities.
