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Boston Police Join State Department Program

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Police Department has signed on to a U.S. State Department program that sends officers to foreign nations to help train their police and form partnerships to fight international crime.

Secretary of State John Kerry and Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis signed the memorandum of understanding on Monday.

Boston's participation had been agreed upon prior to the April 14 Boston Marathon bombings.

The program is run through the State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. Several other American cities are already involved. The federal government covers the costs.

Through the program, American officers develop new skills, while host country counterparts benefit from learning proven law enforcement methods to fight terrorism, drug trafficking and other international crime.

Participating American police officers serve solely in an advisory capacity.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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