Deadline: 08-Jul-2024
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to assist in building the capacity and professionalization of the Honduran National Preventive Police (HNP), increasing their ability to function as effective, efficient, and transparent officers, ultimately strengthening their relationships and connections with the communities in which they operate.
The program will build trust between the Honduran National Preventive Police (HNP) and the communities they serve by expanding training opportunities, building capacity, and coordinating community events to promote community safety, minimize gang influence, and prevent youth recruitment from gangs.
Goal
- The Honduran Preventive Police will improve its capacity and relationships within communities to create a more holistic concept of community security and increase security, deter gang influence, prevent crime, reduce violence, and deter irregular migration. This will include improving the relationships with community leaders and members as a whole, but also increasing coordination with nontraditional security players, including municipal government, NGOs, religious leaders, and others, particularly youth, women, and indigenous groups.
Objectives
- Objective 1: Create Professional Work Environments for the HNP
- Activity 1 – Needs Assessment: Conduct a needs assessment for HNP preventive police posts in key areas defined above, generating priority list of procurement equipment, items, and training.
- Activity 2 – Logistical Support – Procurements and Delivery: In coordination with the HNP and INL police advisors, and the approval of the GOR, the grantee will facilitate the procurement and delivery of non-lethal equipment, office furniture, computers, radios, fans, and other similar items to help refurbish HNP posts to promote a professional, capable environment.
- Objective 2: Enhance capacity of vocational centers and connections with HNP
- Activity 1 – Needs Assessment: Conduct a needs assessment on vehicle maintenance, define the number of organic vehicles that require repair or maintenance, and maintenance logs
- Activity 2 – Motorcycle and Patrol Fleet Maintenance and Repair: The HNP Fleet (both motorcycles and patrol vehicles) are in poor shape. Years of inconsistent maintenance and repairs in some areas have led to an over-reliance on a few functioning vehicles. Consequently, some vehicles have been parked for many months, exacerbating damage in some cases. Maintenance activities and most repair services will be conducted at the vocational centers located in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, and La Ceiba. Some more extensive repairs may need to be sent out to private mechanic shops located in INL’s targeted areas of intervention. In addition to maintenance, the GREAT Program buses (12 buses) should be considered within the motorcycle and patrol fleet.
- Activity 3 – Develop Vocational Center Capacity to Maintain Police Vehicles and Trainings: The grantee will work to create a sustainable solution to maintenance and vehicle repair needs for the Honduran National Preventive Police, while supporting opportunities for much needed, relevant job skills for at-risk youth at vocational centers in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, and La Ceiba.
- Objective 3: Improve preventive police capacity to respond to crimes in the communities they serve.
- Activity 1 – Needs Assessment: Conduct a needs assessment on preventive police training needs in the areas listed above regarding training, capacity gaps, and any capabilities needed to better connect to and serve their communities.
- Activity 2 – Provide Training to HNP, Including Safe Driving and First Aid: HNP Preventive Police Officers lack proper driver training, therefore the grantee will assist in the planning and implementation of basic driving courses for police motorcycles and patrol vehicles. The trainings provided will help the police safely operate police vehicles in the performance of their duties, prevent unnecessary damage to police vehicles from accidents or misuse, and promote employee and citizen safety. While HNP Preventative Police officers are frequently first responders to vehicle accidents, assaults, and other crimes, they have not received proper training to provide first aid. The grantee will identify an appropriate training curriculum and ensure its delivery to the police officers. Based on the needs assessment, the grantee could determine additional training needs are required, which can be planned and discussed with the GOR.
- Activity 3 – Mentoring and Advising for Administrative and Logistical Development: To promote the project’s sustainability, in collaboration with INL police advisors and GOR, the grantee will incorporate over-the-shoulder observations, advising, and training to HNP administrative staff and management in the activities. Four (4) training events related to vehicle maintenance and logistic controls will be administered to approximately 100 HNP officers.
- Activity 4 – Improve preventive police capacity to respond to and assist GBV victims and survivors.: Training for police on identifying and responding to calls of Gender based violence (GBV)/Domestic Violence. Facilitate psychological support and legal services for both police officers and community members.
- Objective 4: Improve the HNP’s relationships with their communities and build community confidence in their capabilities.
- Activity 1 – Strengthen police connections with community actors: Coordinate closely with all community actors, including municipal government/mayor, NGOs, religious organizations, private sector, civil society, and interest groups, in collaboration with the INL police advisors and GOR, to ensure maximum impact and reach of community events and activities, and to maximize police involvement with community.
- Activity 2 – Outreach Events: Build stronger relationships and trust between the police and community members in INL’s targeted areas of intervention is a key component in the Community Security Program Strategy. The grantee will facilitate small (fewer than 200 attendees) outreach events for the HNP to improve engagement with the communities in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Puerto Cortes, Tela, and La Ceiba. The grantee will provide logistical, procurement, and implementation support to HNP for the implementation of outreach events.
Funding Information
- Total available funding: $1,100,000
- Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $800,000 to a maximum of $1,100,000
- Length of performance period: 12 months
- Anticipated program start date: August 2024
- Number of awards anticipated: one (1) award
Participants and Audiences
- The target audience will be the Honduran Preventive Police Officers in the areas the cooperative agreement will be implemented; by strengthening the capacity of the police members and conducting community events, the secondary target audience will include community members including children, at-risk youth, parents, indigenous community members, LGBTQI+ members, vulnerable communities, and disabled citizens.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
- U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or section 26 US 115 of the US 115 of the U.S. tax code;
- Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
- Foreign-based educational institutions.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.