Haiti: Towards the Decentralization of the Criminal Record Service, SDPJ Agents Trained
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 2 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
PORT-AU-PRINCE.— The Haitian National Police (PNH) concluded a two-day seminar this Wednesday for ten agents of the Departmental Judicial Police Service (SDPJ). This initiative is part of the decentralization process of the criminal record service, which until now has been exclusively concentrated at the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) in Port-au-Prince.
The closing ceremony, held in the presence of police officials and beneficiary agents, featured official remarks from the head of the DCPJ, Marc Justin, and the Commander-in-Chief of the PNH, André Jonas Vladimir Paraison.
The head of the DCPJ praised the efforts made to bring this essential service closer to the population. He recalled that the centralization of criminal records at the DCPJ represented a major constraint for citizens living outside the capital, and that decentralization will help improve accessibility and administrative efficiency.
For his part, the Director-General of the PNH, André Jonas Vladimir Paraison, emphasized the strategic importance of this reform. According to him, the extension of the criminal record service to other decentralized structures of the DCPJ is part of the vision of a police force closer to the population and more focused on modernizing its services. “This approach contributes to the institutional strengthening of the PNH and the fight against impunity,” he declared, highlighting the need for a transparent and efficient police force.
The ten agents trained during this seminar are now called upon to play a key role in implementing this decentralization. They will be responsible for local management of the service in various departments of the country, ensuring the reliability and speed of processing criminal record requests.
This reform is well-received by several observers. For Jemps Méralus, executive director of the LHDDH, it is an important step in the new PNH Director-General's desire to decongest central services while strengthening the PNH's authority across the territory.
Jean Mapou
