On April 3, 2026, Haiti marked a key milestone in its ongoing battle against widespread gang violence with the graduation of the second cohort of specialized police officers from the country’s new anti-gang tactical training facility. The ceremony, held at the purpose-built Anti-Gang Training Center in Morne Casse, was led by Inspector General Jacques Joël Orival, Central Director of Haiti’s Administrative Police, and capped off a rigorous training program that concluded with a large-scale simulated assault exercise demonstrating trainees’ new capabilities.
Thirty police officers drawn from across all of the Haitian National Police (PNH)’s elite specialized units completed the program. Participants represented the force’s SWAT team, the Anti-Gang Unit (UTAG), the Counter-Ambush Unit (CAT), the Departmental Operations and Intervention Brigade (BOID), and the Research and Intervention Brigade (BRI). Unlike previous training initiatives that often trained separate units in isolation, this advanced tactical course brought cross-unit officers together under unified, harmonized training standards, a design specifically intended to strengthen inter-unit coordination during high-stakes field operations.
The program was delivered through a collaborative partnership between international specialized instructors and Haitian national trainers, all of whom are themselves graduates of the same advanced tactical program. Upon completing all required coursework and practical assessments, each graduate received an official certification confirming that they have acquired the upgraded tactical skills needed to confront Haiti’s evolving complex security challenges.
Against the backdrop of persistent insecurity driven by armed gang activity across Haiti, this training initiative fills a critical operational gap. Local security conditions frequently demand joint responses from multiple specialized PNH units across different jurisdictional boundaries, and the shared training framework directly addresses the coordination gaps that have hampered past anti-gang operations. Officials frame the graduation of this second cohort as a critical step toward strengthening the PNH’s overall operational capacity to combat armed gangs, reduce community insecurity, and stabilize the country amid ongoing crisis.