Justice Across Borders

September, 2010

The International Exchange Center is proud to announce Seref Onder as this month’s Exchange Visitor of the Month. Each month, we select an exchange visitor who has made an effort to get involved in his/her community and explore American culture.

Seref, along with his wife and their two young children, came to the US from Turkey in March of this year. As a police officer, the opportunity to train at the International Association of Chiefs of Police was impossible to pass up. The purpose of his training is to share how policing and justice are handled in the US and in Turkey.

When they first arrived, Seref and his family were unsure of what to expect but quickly settled in with the help of other local Turkish families. They enjoy their new surroundings, describing it as “peaceful, green, silent and safe”. There is also a great park nearby with a playground for the children. The Onder family has found their local library to be a great resource. “The US library system is very successful and quite interesting to me, especially events, books and puzzles for the children”.

The Onders enjoy visiting the local museums and parks as well as short trips to other national parks and cities such as New York. During the remaining time they are here the family hopes to visit Amish country in Pennsylvania, Niagara Falls, Virginia Beach and Florida.

In his training at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Seref is exposed to all aspects of US policing methods. The purpose of the IACP is to “advance the science and art of police services; to develop and disseminate improved administrative, technical, and operational practices and promote their use in police work; to foster police cooperation and the exchange of information and experience among police administrators throughout the world; and to bring about recruitment and training of qualified persons in the police profession.”

By participating in this training Seref is able to do research on many different issues facing modern police forces such as response to victims, firearm violence and immigration and crime. Seref has visited many police departments in the DC area where he participated in a ride along and observed how they trained their new recruits.

Seref and his family have been having a wonderful experience by overcoming any trepidation about life in a new country. They have embraced this time as an opportunity to learn about a different culture both through Seref’s training and their local community, making good memories and good friends along the way.

Would you like to be featured as our next Exchange Visitor of the Month? Let us know what you are doing -- send us an email with your story and a picture to [email protected].