« They have professionals helping them set up [their] devices, » a police officer familiar with the criminals’ technological efforts told AyiboPost
To communicate with each other, most gangs in Port-au-Prince use communication radios.
« They have professionals helping them set up [their] devices, » a police officer familiar with the criminals’ technological efforts told AyiboPost.
According to an officer from a departmental section of the judicial police and another police officer from Port-au-Prince, gangs, as well as other actors in possession of adequate equipment, regularly listen to police radio communications — which poses a serious threat to the integrity of operations.
In some countries, law enforcement agencies use « encrypted » communications devices, whose signal cannot be easily picked up.
The Haitian National Police (PNH) does not have such a system.
And more broadly, the use of new technologies for collecting, storing and analyzing information, the strategic use of drones and anti-drone technologies, as well as surveillance cameras, remains extremely limited; according to police officers and specialists contacted by AyiboPost.
« We can fight the gangs, but we need material resources, as well as robust training sessions, » says another officer whose house in Carrefour-Feuilles was burnt down by gangs in 2023.
In some countries, law enforcement agencies use « encrypted » communications devices, whose signal cannot be easily picked up.
The PNH is facing a staffing problem.
In 2022, the institution had a workforce of 15,474 officers, but thousands have since left the country, fleeing insecurity, lack of equipment and inadequate pay.
« It’s quite frustrating to hear that they’re going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a multinational mission, while the Haitian police officer gets a few hundred dollars, » said the Port-au-Prince police officer quoted above.
Read also: Police officers desert the streets of Port-au-Prince
For this article, the officers requested anonymity to protect themselves and because they are not authorized to speak.
The police have a few drones, but their use — which is not systematic — does not seem to be part of a comprehensive and systematic strategy, according to specialists. These devices also require adequate training for effective handling, as well as intelligent use of the information collected.
For example, the PNH made use of these technologies during an operation carried out in Village de Dieu on March 12, 2021. Five of the institution’s staff members were lynched in what a human rights group described at the time as a « slaughter ».
It is quite frustrating to hear that they are going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a multinational mission, while the Haitian police officer gets a few hundred dollars.
However, drone footage of downtown Port-au-Prince is regularly posted online by the Village de Dieu gang, whose leader often demonstrates his highly sophisticated tactical equipment in an effort to instill fear, according to an expert.
« Although these are, apparently, ordinary drones, there is still cause for concern, because we don’t know how far [the bandits] can go, » lawyer and public security specialist Youdeline Chérizard told AyiboPost.
At least one entity within the police stands out for its intensive training in combatting armed gangs: the temporary anti-gang unit (UTAG), introduced in 2023.
It is unclear how many members comprise the UTAG, who can, according to an international security expert, conduct operations with any international force deployed in Haiti.
« This unit has the necessary means and technology to carry out a fight against gangs, whether in terms of guns or other intervention equipment, » says Ricardo Germain, security specialist and head of department at the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation.
Although these are, apparently, ordinary drones, there is still cause for concern, because we don’t know how far [the bandits] can go.
Between 2006 and 2021, at least 3 five-year plans, known as strategic development plans for the PNH, were adopted with the goal of developing the policing institution.
« Despite the millions spent [notably by international partners], it is clear that nothing substantial has come out of these three plans, » says Youdeline Chérizard.
Read also: Why was the PNH Anti-Gang Service disbanded?
According to Chérizard, both in terms of intelligence and logistics — especially in terms of technology — the current situation is beyond the police’s level of expertise.
« It’s no longer a question of simply restoring a troubled public order, but a situation of war in the face of gangs that are increasingly well-equipped, » says Chérizard. « Suitable equipment for the PNH is needed, » she notes.
In February 2024, a report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime highlighted the growing autonomy of gangs in Haiti.
Control over the coasts opens up enormous opportunities for them to amplify their criminal activities, according to the report.
« We are dealing with transnational crime, » says Ricardo Germain, head of department at the Ministry of Planning, adding that this began in the 1980s with drug and arms trafficking in the region.
It is no longer simply a question of restoring a troubled public order, but a situation of war in the face of increasingly well-equipped gangs. The PNH needs suitable equipment.
A source confirmed to AyiboPost that the « 5 Secondes » gang from the Village de Dieu and its allies are involved in the trafficking of drugs, weapons and ammunition.
« These ties with individuals in other countries such as Colombia and Jamaica facilitates the exchange of assets such as weapons, ammunition, and other technological materials, but also the transfer of knowledge, » Germain continues.
Read also: Gangs ramp up attacks on boats off Port-au-Prince
In 2021, a police capacity-building plan supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) envisaged equipping the police’s Directorate of General Intelligence (DRG) with Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) equipment to better conduct its operations in the field.
Linked to a high-performance drone system, these technologies should make it possible, among other things, through fixed and mobile command centers, to carry out proactive surveillance, real-time intelligence gathering, and the identification and tracking of criminals.
« When you analyze the police communications and the results obtained, you don’t get the impression that these implementations have been done so far, » Germain told AyiboPost.
Gangs aggressively use social media to terrorize the public, recruit members, and intimidate police officers.
According to a specialist, the PNH’s presence on the internet is « deficient » and some messages disseminated by the institution « lack polish. »
« The police should project trust and give an impression of infallibility, but this is not the case, » says Ralph Emmanuel François.
Read also: Social networks, territory conquered by Izo and Barbecue in Haiti
In 2021, nearly 1,500 cases of homicide were recorded in the country.
These statistics increase to more than 2,000 the following year, reaching 4,700 in 2023.
1,663 police officers left the institution in 2023; with more than a hundred others killed in the line of duty, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).
Cover image: A person maneuvers a drone © freepik
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