TIRANA, Nov 8 /ATA/ “Justice reform is irreversible,” the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Nancy VanHorn, said.
In her remarks at the ceremony held today at the Ministry of Interior, where employees of the Police Oversight Agency were certified after a three-week training by experts from the ICITAP mission, VanHorn emphasized, “The expectations that the Albanian public has for the justice reform and for your work and that of your colleagues are sky high. And this is because you and your colleagues have already delivered results for them.”
And today the 29 of you that are graduating are ready to increase that impact. When I meet with government counterparts, one of the things I continually emphasize is that justice reform is irreversible. I say that because the United States believes it—and believes in you.
So, I want to thank you – the graduates of this course – for your work and for your sacrifice in the name of public service. I commend each of you for what you have already done and accomplished and what you’ve committed to do as the newest law enforcement agency in Albania’s justice reform movement.
The legal reforms adopted in 2016 were the first step in this justice movement, and the creation of the POA in 2021 is another crucial step. And the justice reform movement continues, and like every powerful movement, it draws its strength from the will of the people. And, looking at you today, I am confident that the will of the people will prevail.
So, the work that you do every day advances the vision that Albanians have for your country’s future. It’s a vision where a family can take a sick child to the hospital and know the child will receive the best possible care. Where a family can secure paperwork for land that’s rightfully theirs. Where a student can receive the marks and degree that they’ve worked so hard to obtain. All without the pressure to pay bribes or violate laws.
Just last week, innocent bystanders in Shkodra lost their lives, so the cost of crime is not only lost opportunities or revenue, but it comes in Albanian lives, as well. Your work protects your fellow citizens in very concrete ways.
You are absolutely critical to the functioning Albanian State Police. The POA builds and maintains mutual respect between the ASP and the Albanian public. Every time you conduct a fair and transparent investigation into allegations of corruption. Every time you arrest and prosecute an officer who failed to hold him or herself to the highest standards. And every time you respond quickly to and take seriously the public’s complaints, you increase the public’s trust—not only in the ASP, but in your own agency.
And I want to say, I acknowledge this is not an easy task. Policing the police is incredibly complicated. As guardians of law enforcement, you are upholding principles that are fundamental to Albania’s rule of law. And the Albanian people are counting on you. They are really counting on you to conduct impartial fact finding – the bedrock of all investigations – for the truth. And every time you perform your sworn duty to the Albanian people, you are increasing their trust in a fair, clean, and accountable justice system.
And under the leadership of your Minister and the Director General, you have proven your skills and ability to work collaboratively with other justice organizations. And I want to share with you that when I have met with Mr. Dumani, which I have done on a number of occasions, he points to the work that you do to enforce these standards of integrity as crucial to the work that he and his colleagues at SPAK carry out. There’s no way that a single part of the justice institutions can succeed without the cooperation and collaboration of the entire system. And I won’t repeat the incredibly impressive statistics that you shared earlier, sir, but I do understand there have already been 33 arrests this year due to referrals, and this is a big increase from last year, is what my team has told me. Keep up the good work.
But, you know, I am clear-eyed in acknowledging as well that there are challenges that remain ahead of us. And in the United States, my law enforcement colleagues face many of the same challenges that you do. And I know some of these involve human resources—not having enough investigators, inspectors, or administrative assistants. And I will share with you that when I have the opportunity to meet with people in government that control the budget, I advocate for increased resources for you—whether that’s more people or more technological equipment that will enable you to do investigations.
But courses like the one that you’ve just successfully completed help overcome some of these challenges. Because investigators collaborate better when they’re all trained and working according to the same standards.
I recently learned in the United States we have more than 100 law enforcement agencies and organizations. But one thing that unites all of them is that they all train at the same federal law enforcement center in Georgia.
And all those officers, for decades, have been training to the same standard, the “Criminal Investigators’ Training Program.” And because you are all training to the same standard, you are much closer to working alongside your American and European neighbors.
And this is crucial because the work that you do can be dangerous and stressful. You’re going to investigate shootings. You’re going to investigate incidents with deadly force and terrible violence, threats against public servants, and allegations against corrupt police and government officials. There will be people that try to pressure you and threaten you and persuade you to not do the job that you have sworn to do. I mean, this happens in the United States—this is not Albania’s problem alone.
But there’s a saying that my colleagues have at the Embassy that I find really powerful, which is, “Integrity is non-negotiable.”
Now, the expectation that the Albanian public has for justice reform and for the work of you and you your colleagues is sky-high. That’s because you’ve already been delivering results for them. And today the 29 of you that are graduating are ready to increase that impact. When I meet with government counterparts, one of the things I continually emphasize is that justice reform is irreversible. I say that because the United States believes it—and believes in you.
We are proud to partner with you at this stage of your career and in the future. The independent institutions envisioned under the 2016 justice reform and the POA are here for the long-term. And we are counting on all of you to succeed in this. So, congratulations and thank you so much for inviting me here today.
/sm/
