OSCE Mission supports Kosovo Police in enhancing discipline and accountability

To assist the Kosovo Police (KP) in enhancing internal investigations and background checks, the Mission supported a three-day study visit of five senior managers of the KP Professional Standards Division to the General Inspectorate of National Gendarmerie and France National Police in Paris.

The visit aimed to familiarize the KP delegates with the best practices in managing internal investigations and disciplinary cases concerning KP employees. To add value to the premise that law enforcement is accountable to everyone regardless of their opinion of public safety, law enforcement institutions are obliged to ensure that also law enforcement officers operate within the confines of the law and according to the procedure.

During the visit, the KP senior managers received briefings from the officials of the General Inspectorate of the National Gendarmerie and French National Police on police discipline, including implementing suspension policies during and after disciplinary investigations, and relations between disciplinary and criminal investigations.

Colonel Izet Azizi, Director of the KP Division of Professional Standards, stated that “the visit was very fruitful because it offered us an opportunity to learn about the developed practices of the Gendarmerie and French Police in the field of internal investigations and discipline.”  

“The knowledge we have gained during this study visit will help us introduce the anticipated changes in internal investigations and discipline regulations within KP. It was an extraordinary opportunity for us, and we would like to thank the OSCE Mission for the continued support to KP”, he added. 

Betim Llapashtica, the OSCE Mission’s National Police Development Officer stated that “the Mission has been involved in supporting the police in further developing its operational capacities in the area of internal investigations and discipline, providing an exceptional opportunity for the police to advance its disciplinary mechanisms.”

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated to protect and promote human and community rights, with democratization and public safety sector development. It regularly supports Kosovo Police and other law enforcement agencies to further improve their capacities.