During the meeting, Sota expressed appreciation for the cooperation with the Security Academy in training employees in the area of administrative and criminal investigation, contributing to the significant improvement of their professional capacities.

He also praised ICITAP program for the continued assistance to all aspects of the Police Oversight Agency.

The ICITAP advisor Rick Bates said that the United States government, the US Embassy in Tirana and ICITAP program are committed to providing resources, training programs and leadership.

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The POA representatives, accompanied by the Senior Advisor for Police Accountability from the ICITAP Program at the US Embassy in Tirana, Rick Bates, were in Korça and Pogradec where they emphasized the need for closer cooperation between the Agency and the public, as one of the most important ways to exercise civil supervision as part of the drive to rid the State Police of any illegitimacy.

Very constructive meetings were held at “Fan S. Noli” University, Korçë – UNIKO, “Themistokli Gërmenji” high school, “Raqi Qirinxhi” high school and “Muharrem Çollaku” high school, where during open discussions, students and school children voiced their opinions regarding the work of the State Police in terms of security in schools and the community.

POA representatives also held meetings with citizens traveling via the “Kapshticë” and “Qafë Thane” Border Crossing Points. During these meetings, they presented the approaches to contacting the Agency in order to fulfill its mission, but also to increase cooperation with citizens.

The Police Oversight Agency encourages all citizens to report cases of abuse, violation of the law, or improper behavior by employees of the State Police, the Republic Guard, or the fire service in order to enhance the performance of these structures.
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“The main features of the law and its objectives are aimed at a comprehensive package for the reform of security structures to bring them closer to the best European and world-renowned standards. Actually the law on Internal Affairs and Complaints Service is not an outdated one. But the dynamics and developments in the last couple of years, especially in the justice system, but also other legal and institutional factors have made it mandatory to draft this new law in order for us to meet the new needs and respond to this situation arising as a result of the institutional and legal changes “, he said.

The Minister pointed out that another important element, which adds to the need for radical reform of Internal Affairs and Complaints Service is related to the recommendations of our international partners in the field of order and security and mainly the importance of complying with the standards of European Partnership Against Corruption, or EPAC.

Çuçi stressed that the law was crafted in close cooperation with ICITAP specialists. Its main goals are to reform the service, which will be called the “Agency”, as an intelligence agency to fight corruption, as well as to prevent illegal activity in the ranks of its entities, aligning it with the counterpart agencies of EU member countries.

“Its main novelties are the transition of this structure, of this instrument to a civil structure. So, in other words, it is no longer a streamline service where judicial police officers can go and serve in AMP (supervisory agency) or after completing the agency mission, they return to State Police, according to the ranks of the police, instead it is a completely civil agency designed to avoid an open conflict of interest, which arises in these cases, ” said the minister.
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