DUSHANBE, May 25, 2015, Asia-Plus -- On Friday May 22, seven participants from Tajikistan''s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Drug Control Agency and the General Prosecutor’s Office graduated from the course on “Police Media Relations” sponsored by the U.S. Embassy’s Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) program.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, the Police Media Relations course focused on promoting and supporting human rights as a part of the daily functions of a police department.  They also learned how to establish productive relations with the media and to use social media effectively.  This course also taught law enforcement Public Affairs Sections how to conduct effective press conferences and briefings, as well as manage media interviews.

Assistant Regional Security Officer (ARSO) Trey Howerton stated that the course is the second of four ATA courses planned in 2015 for Tajikistan’s law enforcement agencies, sponsored by Diplomatic Security’s ATA Office and facilitated by the U.S. Embassy’s Regional Security Office.  He thanked the participants for their willingness to learn how to better inform the public about their efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.  The ATA programs adhere to the “train-the-trainer” methodology, which amplifies the number of officers able to gain skills from the trainings sponsored by the U.S. Embassy.

The ATA Office was established in 1983, and is part of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security.  It is an essential U.S. Government mechanism that provides training, equipment, and technology to partner governments actively engaged in fighting terrorism.

Since 1992, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe has provided more than $1 billion in programs that support Tajikistan’s security, democratic institutions, education, health care, and economic growth.