#65 - 1,192 New Police Officers: A Bet to Regain Control
Training faster, policing better? The bet on a larger force | A huge crowd at Livres en folie | “Grenadye Alaso” with TonyMix, T-Ansyto & Boukman | Police in Village-de-Dieu, a truce in Cité-Soleil
Will Haiti’s police force ever be able to secure the entire country? The government certainly hopes so. Several top officials recently attended the graduation of 1,192 new police officers as part of a plan to add 4,000 members to the force. All that and much more in Issue #65 of HAITI WEEKLY.
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Summary #65
Training Faster, Policing Better? The Bet on a Larger Force
Livres en Folie: A Huge Crowd Turns Out for the Written Word
Music Videos of the Week: Dedouble by TonyMix & T-Ansyto and Ayiti nan Batay by Ayiiti & Boukman Eksperyans
Police Operation in Village de Dieu, a Truce in Cité-Soleil
Press Reviews
Training Faster, Policing Better? The Bet on a Larger Force
For a long time, Haiti was among the countries with the fewest police officers per capita, which is a sign that the country is relatively safe under normal circumstances. However, the armed conflict of the past five years has changed that, and an accelerated plan to expand the police force by more than 4,000 officers has been underway since late last year.
In January, a first class of 877 police officers graduated, including 156 women. Then, in late May, a second cohort of 1,192 new officers graduated, including 238 women (20%).
Many government officials were present, including Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and Defense Minister Mario Andrésol, who is a former head of the Haitian police. In addition to honoring the top graduates, the officials linked this new deployment to their commitment to stabilizing the country before the next elections.
Will it be enough to curb the armed conflict? Although it may seem like the most logical solution, the succession of security promises made by transitional governments before elections since the last president was assassinated in 2021 offers little hope.
As recruitment efforts for the next cohort begin, criticism has emerged regarding the candidate selection process. According to the Ordre des défenseurs des droits humains (ORDEDH), some applicants were allegedly fast-tracked in exchange for payment.
The atmosphere at the National Police School’s graduation ceremony on Route Frère in Pétion-Ville was still celebratory. Many of the new officers were happy to graduate and reunite with their families after spending the previous four months undergoing intensive, secluded training.
Livres en Folie: A Huge Crowd Turns Out for the Written Word
Althouth Haiti’s celebration of literature has been condenses into a single day for the past few years due to the capital’s security situation, it still drew a large number of book lovers last Thursday at the El Rancho hotel convention center in Pétion-Ville. As usual, most publishing houses and dozens of Haitian authors were present at their booths.
With more than a thousand titles on display and over 100 authors in attendance, Haiti’s biggest book fair was in full swing. Among the attendees were columnist and novelist Gary Victor, historian Jean Ledan Fils, and renowned Haitian American actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, all of whom had their latest books in hand. Some politicians were also present, including Jocelerme Privert and Youri Latortue, who had their own books.
Le Nouvelliste and Magik 9 radio, two of the event organizers, had a booth where interviews were conducted and broadcast live.
Thousands of people came out to celebrate books and this edition’s guest of honor, René Depestre. Now 102 years old, Depestre unfortunately could not attend in person, but his work was celebrated throughout the event.
The crowd was so dense—with people of all ages—and the entrance was so packed that traffic backed up on the Panaméricaine from Bourdon. Some even wondered whether the venue was too small to host everyone.
Music Videos of the Week
Dedouble - TonyMix et T-Ansyto feat. Kenny Haiti, K-Dilak, J Perry & Shabba
Ayiti nan batay - Ayiiti feat. Boukman Eksperyans & Paul Beaubrun
Haiti’s historic qualification for the FIFA World Cup is the kind of event that unites Haitians together at home and around the globe. In recent weeks, dozens of songs have been released to celebrate the moment, two of which stand out.
First is Dedouble, which features some of the country’s best-known singers coming together over a TonyMix beat to “break the chains,” driven by a simple choral hook—“oh oh oh.” The video shows the artists alongside dancers and brass musicians from Haitian marching bands, some in front of a brightly painted pickup truck and others gathered around a percussionist. Images of flags, including those of the countries competing in the tournament, are woven throughout.
In the song “Ayiti nan batay” [Haiti is in the fight], Haitian singer Ayiiti is joined by the legendary group Boukman Eksperyans. The chorus of the song reprises the national team’s slogan: “Grenadye Alaso.” Following the chorus, the artists sing the refrain from Boukman Eksperyans’ classic “Kè’m pa sote” together. The music video opens with a fake news bulletin that is interrupted by the announcement that Haiti has qualified for the World Cup. The video then shows a crowd of supporters with the singers at the center, interspersed with images of foutbòl [soccer].
Police Operation in Village de Dieu, a Fragile Truce in Cité-Soleil
Since the beginning of last week, police have made a major show of force during an operation in the Village de Dieu neighborhood in downtown Port-au-Prince. The stronghold of Izo “5 Segonn,” an armed criminal group leader and rapper, has reportedly been occupied by law enforcement for more than a week. Journalists are still unable to visit the area, since the zone and access routes are not yet fully secured. However, many photos have been published on the police’s official social media accounts.
Meanwhile, the armed conflict in the northern part of Cité-Soleil that we reported on last week appears to have eased since last Sunday, according to our contributor on the ground. Several images on social media have also shown conflict zones being refurbished in the hope that displaced residents can return—more than 5,000 people, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO’s team
Photojournalists: Francillon Laguerre, Sonson Thelusma, Andoo Lafond, Milot Andris, Patrick Payin, Ketlain Difficile, Steeve Saint Fleur, Clarens Siffroy
Community manager: Steven Andris
Editorial board: Etienne Côté-Paluck, Jean Elie Fortiné, Jean-Paul Saint-Fleur
Interns: Wilky Andris, Donley Jean Simon
Special collaboration: Stéphanie Tourillon-Gingras, Mateo Fortin Lubin, Dickens Lundi
Media partners: Centre à la Une, J-COM, Nord-Est Info
Institutional partners: Kay Fanm, Mouka.ht
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