The Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The director of the Memphis and Shelby County Crime Commission is headed to Iraq to help train police officers.
Michael Heidingsfield will hold the title of “field manager” with DynCorp International Inc., a State Department contractor helping train the Iraqi National Police Force.
DynCorp has about 500 U.S. police officers or former officers in Iraq assigned to the training program.
The Virginia-based company is charged with training 29,500 officers for the Iraqi force.
Heidingsfield, 53, has directed the Memphis commission, a nonprofit research and advisory group, for four years. He is a former police chief for Scottsdale, Ariz.
He is scheduled to arrive in Iraq in early November.
DynCorp, a subsidiary of Texas-based Computer Sciences Corp., works with the State Department’s international narcotics and law enforcement division.
Heidingsfield’s duties will include coordinating the security, housing, communications and other needs of DynCorp training officers.
U.S. military police also train Iraqi police and security personnel.