U.S. Ambassador Peter W. Bodde handed over 85 all-terrain bicycles, 50 computers and other equipment worth $90,000 today to Nepal Police Inspector General Upendra Kant Aryal at Nepal Police Headquarters in Naxal.  The U.S. Embassy donation supports the IGP’s “Service with a Smile” community policing initiative.

According to a press release issued by Public Affairs Section, Embassy of The United States,the bikes will be used by Nepal Police to navigate communities and interact with citizens, and the equipment will be used to train the officers on this new initiative.

 Noting the number of women police present at the handover ceremony, Ambassador Bodde said, “I am very pleased to see the number of women here today as part of this initiative. In the United States, we have seen the tremendous benefits of increasing the number of female officers in local, state, and national law enforcement agencies.  I believe you will also see that more women officers in the Nepal Police will lead to better community relations and increased awareness and reporting of gender-based violence, as well as better investigation and prosecution outcomes in those cases.”