MALAGASY NATIONAL POLICE

However, the major training deficiency of the force is to be found in the
technical field. Both M. Heiby!, Chief laboratory technician,Tand M.
Doucet, Chief Communications-specialist, find it difficult-to train
Malagasy personnel in their respective fields. They seem to believe that
the Malagasy-people are not gifted-for -technical pursuits.-
C. Transportation
1. It has already been said (Introduction I D (a)) that the topog­
raphy of the island did not favor the development of a good road system.
In fact, again as it is the case in many underdeveloped countries,
Madagascar has jumped from the oxcart to the airplane. This is probably
what prompted Minister Resamapa to request airplanes for the Police. Al­
though this seems at first glance to be a logical request, it becomes
unreasonable under closer scrutiny. In the first place, the present
Police budget (or any probable extension thereto) could not possibly sus­
tain the costs of personnel, operation, maintenance and replacement re­
quired by an effective police patrol squadron. Reducing the Ministerts
request for 10 airplanes to one or two units, for instance, would con­
stitute only a costly and empty gesture for, not only would they be'to­
tally insufficient to patrol such a large area, but also they would not
last very long in the hands of completely inexperienced personnel. in
fact, the Madagascar Airline (Madair) is now using French personnel be­
cause it cannot find enough pilot material among the Thlagasy.
2. The same reasoning applies to the request for eleven patrol boats.
Their cost would be prohibitive,_new personnel'would.have to be recruited
and trained, and the service-they would render in patrolling such a long
- and perilous shoreline would be negligible.
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