Kosovo Police is among the oldest one in terms of age and therefore exists an immediate need for reform of the human resources management of the police.
By Luka Ličina (BCSP) / Photo: Plator Avdiu (Media Centre, Belgrade)
The Kosovo Police continues to be perceived as the most trusted rule of law institution in Kosovo, according to the 2015 European Commission report. Additionally, the police is among the least corrupted institutions in Kosovo in citizens’ opinion. However, in practice, the situations is far from perfect.
Citizens are afraid to admit that they actually were involved in police corruption. The government continues to exercise heavy influence on policing. This was noticed particularly during the 2015 protests in Kosovo against the Government. This raises the issue of depoliticization of the Kosovo Police.
Police reform process in Kosovo, as well as in other Western Balkan communities is ongoing and assited by international community. Prevalent challenges is human resource management. Today, the POINTPULSE Network is talking with the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies researcher Plator Avdiu about the police reform in Kosovo.
— What are the consequences of police corruption in your country (or why is important to promote police integrity)?
Police corruption is a major problem in Kosovo. From bribery to public procurement the police corruption is considered to impede integrity policies within the Kosovo Police. However, police is perceived to be less affected by corruption when compared to police service with other countries of the Western Balkans. Based on the 2015 data of Kosovo Security Barometer, a specific programme of the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, around 27 percent of the Kosovo citizens believe that the Kosovo Police is corrupted. This figure also ranks the Kosovo Police among the least corrupted institutions in Kosovo. Apart from this, our research has found that citizens could have been afraid to admit that they corrupted or bribed police officers when in contact with them.
— What are the main three problems in police reform process in your country?
Considering the fact the Kosovo Police is among the oldest one in terms of age, therefore exists an immediate need for reform of the human resources management of the police. However, the Law on Early Retirement is still not approved and there lacks budget to provide pension for police officers who would get the early retirement. Another challenge is operational independence of the police from political influence as there have been claims that high political profiles have been interfering in the police work. On the other hand, in relation to enhancing the police integrity, the work of the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo is still weak towards testing integrity of police officers. Lastly, but not least, budget of the police is lower comparing with the 2015 budget.
— Is there an example of good practises in tackling police corruption in your country?
The anticorruption mechanisms within the police are not enough so that to produce satisfied results in the fight against police corruption. Professional and human resources of internal control bodies of the Kosovo Police should be strengthened with the main aim to prevention of police corruption and other misconduct committed by police officers. However, there is some progress. At the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo’s website is an online application where citizens may bring a complaint against police officers. In addition, there is a phone line called “Blue Line” (within the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo) for citizens to report misconducts by police officers.
— What are the main three recommendations to foster police reform process in your country?
The Kosovo Police should pay attention to strengthen solidly its independence vis-à-vis the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other political bodies, in particular when it comes to the police operational plans. As one of the key law enforcement agencies, the police should be prepared well when dealing with protests. In this regard, there is a need to be equipped with sophisticated equipment during protests in order to maintain public order and safety. The police itself should consolidate the internal control mechanisms to combat police corruption and to ensure protection of personal data for those who report misconduct of police officers as well as the police corruption. In addition, role of the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo should be more proactive on measurement of integrity of the police officers through direct supervision of the police activities.
Civil society organizations
dedicated to oversight of police integrity.