Haiti Reshuffles Police Leadership Amid Rising Kidnappings

Port-au-Prince — The Haitian government has named Inspector General Frenel Saintil as the new head of the Administrative Police, part of a leadership shake-up within the force as the country confronts a rise in kidnappings, according to almomento.net, citing the daily Le Nouvelliste. Saintil, who will oversee most of the specialized units from the post, replaces Inspector General Jacques Joel Orival, who has now been appointed Security Coordinator of the National Palace, the report said. The changes to the High Command of the National Police (PNH) come amid the increase in abductions and dissatisfaction among political authorities, and include the designation of Commissioner Lukner Dumond as the new head of the force's Logistics Directorate. According to Le Nouvelliste, the wave of kidnappings for cash ransoms coincides with a decline in the PNH's operational effectiveness, a deterioration in relations among high-command members, and ongoing armed-gang violence. PNH Director General Vladimir Paraison, who has led the institution for a year, now oversees these new officials, with the principal task of restoring security undermined by criminal groups. The report is unverified and based on a single source.