The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina held a final workshop for law enforcement agencies on increasing awareness of managers and operational staff on core components and significant benefits of intelligence-led policing principles.
The project Enhancing Intelligence-led Policing (ILP) to Combat Serious Security Threats and Crimes was launched in the autumn of 2022. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Mission) organized a series of sixteen workshops for law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to establish a strategic and operational basis for developing a coherent and sustainable ILP model in BiH. The main topics were introduction to the requisite organizational structures, and use of criminal-intelligence reports and analytical products in the decision-making process. The workshops included topics such as analytical preparation, threat assessment, organizational planning and strategy development. A large segment of the workshop was dedicated to discussion on optimizing technical capacity and compatibility – particularly in terms of ICT systems and equipment, as well as the use of analytical tools and software for criminal-intelligence work.
Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH reflected back on the initial phase of the Project when working side by side with BiH law enforcement partners. The Ambassador recognised the great strides made in establishing a strategic and operational basis for advancing intelligence-led policing in BiH’s twenty-one law enforcement agencies and institutions, noting “Thirty-six police managers and 293 operational staff had an opportunity to find out more on ILP principles and requirements. The project also has established an ILP Co-ordination Body, a highly operational, progress oriented forum comprised of senior law enforcement managers from all partner agencies and institutions. I am proud to announce that we will deliver the first package of IT assistance to law enforcement agencies by the end of 2023.”
Funds for the Project were provided by Norway, Germany, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Türkiye, and Austria.
Underlining the importance of the Project for the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Olav Reinertsen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway in Bosnia and Herzegovina stated, “The aim of the project in BiH is to ultimately bolster the effectiveness of law enforcement in fighting crime and preventing threats to security. Intelligence-led policing highlights the importance of contemporary technology and provides sustainable mechanisms for interagency co-ordination and co-operation,” the Ambassador added. “Norway strongly supports the advancement and strengthening of institutions and law enforcement agencies in the country, and considers the project to be a strategic priority for BiH.”
In the last year, BiH and international law enforcement agencies jointly planned and executed ILP-driven police investigations in the area of transnational illicit trafficking of narcotics and weapons. These complex operations resulted in several indictments of high-profile individuals. As a result, the use of the intelligence-led policing model helped to uncover, document, and investigate an international organized crime network that produced and transported illegal narcotics and firearms across Europe.
The Mission will remain an active partner in ensuring that all law enforcement agencies have sufficient technical capabilities to bolster their collaborative and efficient response to versatile security threats and crimes.
