The statistics are not good – in four cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina there is a total shortage of 1,537 police officers. The situation is no better with other staff in the cantons, but also in the Republika Srpska. This is one of the most pressing problems, warn from all police agencies. In addition to the current lack of staff, the situation could be further complicated by the retirement of a generation of police officers who have exercised this right. The Ministries of Internal Affairs were ordered to announce competitions for the recruitment of new personnel as soon as possible.
It is necessary to carry out adequate actions among already existing police structures, experts warn. Although several hundred cadets are currently being trained in numerous cantonal MUPs, the necessary period of time for their adaptation and independent work should also be taken into account.
“According to the systematization, there should be 962 police officers in the Police Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the HNK, the number of police officers is 587. Therefore, 375 police officers are missing. In 2024, another 21 police officers will retire. Two weeks ago, we finished the competition where 160 police officers were hired, of which 30 are junior inspectors and 130 police officers, now they are in the training phase and will start working in three months, that is, six months”, says Ljudevit Marić, spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior of the HNK.
“The Tuzla Canton Police Department currently lacks 460 officers. There are currently 200 cadets undergoing training at the Police Academy, of which 160 are for the rank of police officer and 40 are junior inspectors. Soon we plan to submit a request to the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the additional recruitment of new officers”, says Dževad Korman, director of the TC Police Administration.
“The police administration currently has a shortage of 202 police officers and 135 civil servants and employees. In the next three years, 500 to 600 employees are expected to retire. If at this moment and next year we do not plan and receive police officers in a timely manner, we will find ourselves in a very difficult situation that will not be resolved in a short period of time”, warns Rusmir Šišić, police commissioner of the ZDC.
Sarajevo Canton is missing more than 500 policemen and inspectors. Recently, 195 of them were employed, and soon 250 policemen and 30 junior inspectors will be employed in order to solve this problem as soon as possible. The Minister of Internal Affairs of the Federation of BiH, Ramo Isak, sees a short-term solution in the temporary retention in the service of experienced professionals who have already acquired the conditions for retirement, and who want to contribute to the work in the service. In addition, annual training is planned for around 1,200 cadets who should complete the missing staff.
“Besides that, we are going to amend certain laws, where we will enable certain officials that we need at the moment when they meet the conditions for retirement to be able to keep them until we fill those positions, so we will quickly settle this missing number”, Isak claimed.
The situation is similar in other police structures in our country. Namely, in the decision on determining the plan for the admission of cadets to police agencies at the level of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2023, which is in the consultation phase, it was stated that the ranks of the Directorate for the Coordination of Police Bodies should be strengthened by 50 policemen, while SIPA should employ 20 police officers and ten junior inspectors.
