California Police to Assist in Odessa Anti-Corruption Reform

Police officers from California are to train the police force of the Ukrainian region of Odessa, where former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili is Governor. It has also been revealed on Saakashvili’s Facebook page that the U.S. will be providing financial support to the new initiative.

“Within the framework of Odessa’s anti-corruption drive, the US government agreed to provide funds for the salaries of the new team,” read the statement on Saakashvili’s page.

The plan is to create a new police patrol which will replace the licensing and inspection department of Odessa. According to the statement, Californian police officers could be deployed to Odessa as early as this month. Overall, the American investment in Ukrainian police reform is anticipated to reach $15 million across various cities.

Nino Ioseliani