TIRANA, June 28 /ATA/ – Minister of Interior Bledi Çuçi stated on Monday that State Police detain the criminals and offenders, but it is the court that holds them to account.
Çuçi forewarned that within this week, a profound change in State Police will target the heads of police structures at the regional level to be extended step by step at the capillary level in each police station of the territory of the Republic of Albania
“In recent days we have all been shocked by two subsequent tragedies: A road accident which resulted in four fatalities due to speeding by the perpetrator and another shooting incident which claimed the lives of four people over a beach plot in Velipoja,” said Çuçi.
“I fully understand the public concern over two tragedies as well as the outspoken critics of Police work. But, I want to emphasize strongly that: The State Police, beyond its shortcomings or weaknesses and further improvements that are needed and will be made on a periodic basis, can neither be in hot pursuit of any car moving on the roads of the country, nor can it prevent any argument at 1 o’clock at night between the two neighbors ,”stressed Çuçi.
“Both tragedies first of all require a reflection from everyone, including the State Police, which during our third term of office, will have super-intelligent drones at disposal, such as a modern road surveillance system, which generates real-time fines for speeding. The judges who have not undergone the process of vetting should reflect rather than stick to the ‘catch what you can’ principle. The State Police halt but cannot punish offenders and criminals, they are punished by the court,” underlined Çuçi.
“To illustrate my point, I want to mention an example: As part of tightened measures against illegal possession of weapons, in June alone, police have detained three citizens in three separate cases such as Shkodra, Vlora and Fier for illegal possession of firearms,” said Çuçi.
But, he added, “unfortunately, prosecutors and judges, such as the case of prosecutor Edlira Cufi in Shkodra, or the prosecutor Elona Alvora and judge Albert Spiro in Vlora, as well as prosecutor Erind Rahovica and judge Pirro Sota in Fier, despite the flagrant violations of the law, have reduced sentences due to extenuating measures, although the minimum sentence for these criminal offenses is 3 years of imprisonment. ”
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