Kingdom of Bahrain - Mamlakat al-Bakharin

INTERNATIONAL POLICE EXECUTIVE SYMPOSIUM 10th ANNUAL MEETING

11-15 OCTOBER 2003

Police and Community

Police and Community Relations in Serbia

Želimir Kešetović PhD, Police College, zelimir@verat.netcolonel Miloš Vojinovć, Ministry of Interior mup@mup.sr.gov.yu

Presentation plan:

1. Background2. Reform of the Ministry of Interior3. Community policing

Total area: 88,412 sq. km., Capital: Belgrade Population: 8. 000 000 refugees 800 000Ethnic Groups: Serb 63 % Albanian, 17%. Montenegrin, 5 %. Hungarian, 3% %. Other, 12% Languages: Serbian 95 % Albanian 5% Religions: Orthodox, 65 %. Muslim, 19 %. Roman Catholic, 4 %. Protestant, 1 %. Other, 11 %Gross Domestic Product: $20.6 billion (1999)GDP real growth rate: -20 % (1999)GDP per capita: $1,800 (1999)Chief industries: machine building, metallurgy, mining, electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods (the break-up of Yugoslavia -- with the ensuing loss of close Communist-era trade ties and a succession of bloody military campaigns over the past decade -- has sparked a sharp drop in the country's industrial output)Agricultural products: cereals, fruits, vegetables, tobacco, olives; cattle, sheep, goats

Serbia – fact&figurers

1990-2000 Police in the system of personal rule

•Criminalization - on the highest level reflected in coupling of the police leaders and heads of crime groups, and on the lower levels of police hierarchy had forms of various kinds of corruption.

•Politization - misused for political purposes

•Centralization

•Obedience - main feature of the police professional culture

•Militarization

•No Police Code

•No external control or oversight. The public, including parliament, had almost no insight in functioning of the police. Complains against the policemen were handled by internal police bodies (superiors or Disciplinary court), and rarely by courts (that were also under control of the politics, e.g. ruling party). Political criteria were above the law and profe

•Low level of public confidence

•Lack of capable leaders

From police force to police service

October, 5th 2000 – real step into transition

Complete revision of the security concept was a high priority and that immediate and substantive change in all the organizational and functional sections of the Ministry of Interior must correct the serious inherited shortcomings

 The reform of the Ministry has been implemented parallel in three main areas:

•the reform of practice (increasing the efficiency of work); •legislative reform (drafting of laws and regulations); and   •long-term strategy for the development of law enforcement agencies.

create professional, depolitized police responsible for law enforcement and protection of human rights and freedoms, efficient in prevention and repression of crime and other phenomena that endanger public safety, and under effective internal and external control and oversight, giving its contribution to consolidation of the values of democratic society and incorporating Serbia in European integrations.

AIM

KEY PARTNERSOSCEDCHRCOE

NGOs

STRATEGIC TASKS•fight against organized crime and corruption•efficient solving of hard crimes that caused disturbance of public in previous period•suppression of terrorism of paramilitary groups of ethnic Albanians in south Serbia (Ground Safety Zone)•personal and material and technical restoration of the police, its depolitisation and decriminalization•transparency in work and transforming the police into service of citizens•cooperation with foreign police organizations

VALUES•Rule of law•Human rights and freedoms•Political neutrality (impartiality)•Professionalism and respect for cultural diversities•Representative towards community (in terms of ethnic, gender, etc.)•Cooperation with citizens and their associations•Transparency•Responsibility

What has been done so far ?

•Strategic document made •New legislation •New organization•New leadership•New uniforms•International cooperation•Police Code•Public projects•Women and ethnic minorities in police

Community policing project AIMSPreventionPartnershipBetter communicationsDecrease of crimeProblem oriented workMeasuring of performanceAdjusting police service to the needs of the citizensPolice as a modern service of the citizensDecentralizationImproving of overall security and quality of lifeResponsibility

Elements of the vision• Cooperation between police and public• Education and advice• Security problem analysis and solutions• Informing and reporting

Users•Citizens •Families•Local government•Business enterprises•Various associations•Education institutions•Social care institutions

5 years goalsTo gain own experience and knowledge necessary for implementing this modelin local conditionsEducation of citizens and policeAppropriate organization of the police on the local, regional and national levelRecognition of the operational projectsOperationalisation of the projects

PILOT PROJECT – Police in the local community

Started in June 2002 in 10 townsPartners: OSCE, English, Swiss and Norwegian policeDone so far: survey of public opinion, city councils for security formed education of the police and citizens action plansNext steps: recognition of the security problems defining priorities strategic planning analysis of the results evaluation

AMBITIONS•Develop a new philosophy•Built a partnership•Develop security culture•Leadership and prevention•Public confidence

Obstacles and problems

Political instabilityLegacy of the pastResources (HR, $….)Different opinionsMedia relationsEthnical tensions

Thank you very much !