BEIRUT: One hundred and thirty six Lebanese police officers graduated Tuesday from a joint U.S.-Internal Security Forces Community Policing training program.

Deputy Chief of Mission William Hudson, who attended the graduation ceremony at Warwar Academy in suburban Beirut, underscored the community policing model which promotes the development of partnerships between law enforcement and the Lebanese people and institutions they serve.

The Community Policing program is an eight-week training course taught by U.S. and Lebanese police instructors with the assistance of legal professionals. ISF officers learn the latest policing, law enforcement, and community relations skills and how to implement them effectively in real situations.

The training program also looks forward to increase trust and confidence in the police as well as address the underlying causes of crime by developing solutions to problems facing the community at large.

The United States’ $132 million multi-year law enforcement assistance program in Lebanon is designed to support reform in the Lebanese law enforcement sector by strengthening the capacity of the ISF to enforce the rule of law in Lebanon and to protect the Lebanese people, a statement released by the U.S. Embassy said.

A professional and responsive police force also strengthens Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and stability, the statement added.

The U.S. assistance program strengthens the ISF and is part of the overall U.S. security assistance program to Lebanon. Since 2008, U.S. instruction teams have trained over 8,500 ISF members.