In March, gangs stormed the neighborhood of Haiti’s police chief, Frantz Elbé, breaking into his home, setting it on fire and killing his dog.
Mr Elbé and his family were not at home at the time and he would not discuss what happened in any detail. But the attack, which was captured videosends a chilling message to police ranks and residents of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
“It symbolized that no one was safe,” said Reginald Delva, a Haitian security consultant and former Haitian government minister.
The burning of the police chief’s house heightened fears among Haitians that their country was on the verge of collapse in the face of an onslaught by a coalition of armed gangs that had taken control of many parts of Port-au- Prince and threatened key institutions, such as the National Palace.
But today, Haiti’s police, outnumbered and outgunned, have managed – at least for now – to hold off the gangs in some clashes and to defend the few government buildings remaining under state control.
As a result, the police have gone from being a much-maligned force, considered by many analysts to be inept and corrupt, to gaining newfound respect among some Haitians.
“The police have made significant efforts,” said Gédéon Jean, director of the Haiti-based Center for Analysis and Research on Human Rights. “It is still insufficient, but now they have the population on their side.”
Police are focused on protecting key government buildings and infrastructure, experts say, leaving residential parts of the capital open to hit-and-run attacks by gangs, in what one US official likened to a game of Whac- a-Mole.
Gangs have the upper hand in many parts of Port-au-Prince, controlling entire neighborhoods. They engaged in extortion and kidnapping to finance their operations and also demanded a say in Haiti’s political future.
The police helped loosen the gangs’ stranglehold on the capital’s airport, allowing military planes to land. Commercial flights are expected to resume this month for the first time since early March.
And on Wednesday, the police also regained control of the access roads to the port of Port-au-Prince, giving ships the opportunity to dock and unload.
The gangs’ offensive, which began at the end of February, achieved one of its objectives: the ouster of Haiti’s leader.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry was barred from returning to the country from a trip abroad after gangs attacked the capital’s international airport, and was eventually forced to resign.
Haiti’s police are expected to receive foreign help in their campaign to crack down on lawlessness: a 2,500-member multinational force led by Kenya, approved by the United Nations and funded largely by the United States.
But the contingent was suspended because Kenyan leaders said they were waiting for a new Haitian government to take office.
A transitional council tasked with bringing political stability to Haiti took over, as part of a process to form a new government and pave the way for general elections.
Haiti has not had an elected leader since its last president, Jovenel Möise, was assassinated three years ago.
But Kenya has not yet said when the multinational force will leave for Haiti, so for now the country’s police will have to continue dealing with the gangs on their own.
“They’ve been asking for help for months now,” said Bill O’Neill, the United Nations expert on human rights in Haiti. “I’m amazed they still hold on. It’s a small miracle.”
Haiti’s police force has about 9,000 officers on duty every day for a population of 11 million, according to government data, about a third of the strength recommended by the United Nations for a country of that size.
In Port-au-Prince, a few hundred officers are normally on duty, experts say, although officially around 2,400 are assigned to the capital.
Many officers have been killed, resigned or simply quit their jobs, police chief Elbé said. But, he added, a significant number had left Haiti under a U.S. parole program for Haitian migrants introduced last year by the Biden administration.
On the other hand there are up to 200 gangs across the country, of which around two dozen operate in Port-au-Prince, experts say. They range from small groups of a few dozen young men sharing guns to crews of around 1,500 men armed with automatic weapons.
U.S. officials say some gangs also possess large-caliber rifles capable of firing ammunition capable of penetrating fortifications. They also use drones to monitor the police. Police weapons mainly consist of rifles and pistols.
The Biden administration, which has provided about $200 million in assistance to Haiti’s police in recent years, is spending another $10 million on training and equipment, including weapons, ammunition, body armor and helmets.
“We’ve given them sufficient material, I would say, for the time being, but every day counts, and this is a containment action,” Brian A. Nichols, the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, said in an interview. U.S. officials have repeatedly stressed the urgency of having a multinational force on the ground in Haiti.
At the same time, human rights groups in Haiti say police have also committed abuses, including arresting people on unspecified or false charges and beating detainees, according to a U.S. State Department report. postponement released in April.
The assault on the police chief’s house came as gangs increased their level of violence: in the first three months of this year, more than 2,500 people were killed or injured in Haiti. In addition to forcing the closure of the country’s main airport, criminal gangs also blocked maritime traffic at Haiti’s main port.
Against this gloomy backdrop, Mr. Elbé, who is not inclined to make public appearances, released two video reassuring Haitians that his officers were doing their best to protect them.
“They maintained a strong position in defending the people and prevented the country from completely falling apart,” he said a videowearing a protective vest and surrounded by elite anti-gang officers.
He also appealed directly to fellow police officers. “I ask you to join this fight to prevent the country from dying,” she said.
However, some officers living in gang-ridden neighborhoods have joined the millions of Haitians who have fled their homes.
According to experts, the gangs deliberately targeted the police as a show of power and to sow terror.
“They brutally kill or mutilate the bodies of police officers,” said Diego Da Rin, who monitors Haiti for the International Crisis Group.
The head of the police union, Lionel Lazarre, said: “The police are victims, just like the rest of the population. Morality is not high.”
Since January, according to Elbé, at least 24 officers have been killed and five others have disappeared in an ambush set by gangs. About 220 officers resigned and 170 abandoned the ranks without explanation, he added.
Given the enormous challenges and risks officers faced, some U.S. officials said the force showed remarkable commitment and resilience.
Specialized SWAT teams and anti-gang units managed to repel several attacks on key government buildings downtown, including the Interior and Justice ministries and the Supreme Court, in what Elbé described as “urban warfare by heavily armed gangs.” At least 22 police precincts in Port-au-Prince and its suburbs have been destroyed in recent weeks.
A team of 14 U.S. State Department advisors and trainers are embedded with Haitian police to provide support, including tactical advice. Senior Haitian police officials also received training through the Inter-American Defense College in Washington, which is part of the Organization of American States.
However, in their battle against the gangs, Haiti’s police are at a disadvantage, experts say, because they lack good intelligence capabilities and equipment, such as armored patrol vehicles, helicopters or drones, to target gang bases. heavily fortified bands.
The fragility of the police worries experts who warn that the gangs will not be easily defeated even with the arrival of the multinational mission supported by the UN.
“The international deployment will need to be specifically trained to conduct operations in dense urban environments, where gangs will also likely employ guerrilla tactics that increase risk to civilians,” said Lewis Galvin, a senior U.S. analyst at Janes, the intelligence firm of the defense.
