Friday, April 15, 2005

Kosovo police official says groundwork for Interior Ministry to begin soon

Text of report in English by independent internet news agency KosovaLive

Prishtina [Pristina], 13 April: If works go as planned, the Kosova [Kosovo] Police Service [ShPK] will become fully independent by mid-2006, ShPK Col Sheremet Ahmeti said during his visit to the regional police station.

He said that the locals will take the command in Prishtina and Prizren regional stations this June, thus raising to four the number of independent regional stations in Kosova.

Col Ahmeti said that preparations for establishment of the Internal Ministry will commence soon.

He said that new units for fighting crime are being established within the ShPK, while the Police Commissioner Kai Vitrup ordered that Police Support Units be used by regional stations. Those troops will gradually replace the UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] police.

Ahmeti said that the Gjilan region is the best example of the need for the locals to take over the command of police stations. "We have a significant reduction of crime rate since the ShPK took over the command," he said.

Col Ahmeti said that the Kosovar police are working to discover "some self-called organizations, who are causing confusion among the citizens". None except the legal institutions for maintaining the rule of law (ShPK, UNMIK police and Kfor [Kosovo Force]) is allowed to operate in Kosova, and if there is anyone operating they will end up handcuffed," said Ahmeti.

Source: KosovaLive web site, Pristina, in English 13 Apr 05

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