(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — United States Ambassador David Hale announced the delivery of 38 vehicles to Lebanon police on Friday, including 23 prison vans to the Internal Security Forces, in hopes to ease overcrowding in Lebanese prisons.
Hale held a ceremony at the police barracks in Dbayeh to mark the delivery of 38 new vehicles in total.
“The vehicles delivered today, valued at $1.6 million, include 23 prisoner transport vehicles that will allow the ISF to increase the number of prisoners that can be escorted to courts for hearings,” Hale said. “This will alleviate prison overcrowding by addressing a key factor in the backlog of court cases and facilitating an important part of the judicial process.”
Hale said the other vehicles, which include five Dodge Ram pickup trucks, 23 Ford prisoner vans, and 10 Ford Explorers, is immediately available for police use.
An embassy statement said the U.S. government would provide the Internal Security Forces with over $20 million worth of equipment, specialized training and infrastructure support over the next 12 months.
Hale called the Internal Security Forces a “key pillar of public security in Lebanon.”
Since 2008, the United States has provided over $140 million to the ISF.