Multiple U.S. Agencies Provided Billions of Dollars to Train and Equip Foreign Police Forces

Over the past few years, the United States has increased its emphasis on training and equipping foreign police as a means of supporting a wide range of U.S. foreign-policy goals, including countering terrorists overseas and stopping the flow of narcotics to the United States. Funding for these activities has increased significantly since we last reported on these issues in 1992. In response to your request, this report provides estimates of the funding the U.S. government provided for activities to train and equip foreign police, hereafter referred to as "police assistance," during fiscal year 2009. We defined "police" as all law-enforcement units or personnel with arrest, investigative, or interdiction authorities. We analyzed documents and interviewed officials of the Departments of State (State), Defense (DOD), Energy (DOE), Justice (DOJ), Homeland Security (DHS), the Treasury, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). We also reviewed past GAO reports, relevant legislation, and congressional budget submissions. We limited our review to fiscal year 2009 because of the limited availability of comparable funding data from the agencies in other years. Our estimate of U.S. funds provided for this purpose incorporates budget estimates, appropriations, obligations, allotments, and expenditures because the agencies did not provide uniform funding data. Enclosure I provides more information on our scope and methodology.