Haiti graduates 1,189 new police officers to bolster security

The 37th promotion of the Haitian National Police (PNH), named “Dessalines,” officially graduated on October 30, 2026, at the National Police Academy. The cohort consists of 947 men and 242 women, joining the ranks to address persistent insecurity and gang violence in the country.

This graduation is part of the P-4000+ program, a Washington-funded initiative supported by over $25 million from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). Through this program, more than 3,200 new officers have been trained and deployed to date, with a goal of exceeding 4,000 officers by spring 2027.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and Minister of Justice and Public Security Patrick Pélissier. PNH Director General André Jonas Vladimir Paraison urged the recruits to maintain discipline and integrity. The new officers are intended to be deployed directly into neighborhoods to displace gangs, secure infrastructure, and protect major transit routes alongside the Haitian Armed Forces and the UN-authorized Gang Suppression Force (GSF).