The Minister of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, Admir Katica, explained today the information related to the security situation, which is the only topic of today’s second emergency session of the cantonal assembly, that is, information on the activities that the Ministry of Internal Affairs undertook and is undertaking in order to improve security conditions in Sarajevo Canton.
Speaking about activities aimed at improving overall security, Katica emphasized the recruitment of new professional staff into the police service and the equipping of the police according to the highest standards.
The lack of professional personnel was identified in time, because out of 1,400 police officers, only a third had the appropriate training. The problem was solved gradually, and the necessary level of professional education was defined with appropriate legal changes, with the aim of having only quality personnel in the police ranks.
Last year, 195 new police officers were hired in a manner that strongly opposes nepotism in this area; the admission procedure was fair and transparent, which will also apply to the admission of 250 new police officers, as well as to future admissions.
Part of the security policy is the strengthening of police training and the acquisition of appropriate police equipment and funds, so the budget for these purposes is now larger by more than 60 million BAM than six years ago, Katica said. Activities for the procurement of seven armored personnel carriers and other assets, i.e. the necessary equipment, are underway.
Katica emphasized that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Police Directorate are the main partners of the judicial authorities in uncovering the criminal acts of persons involved in the Sky and Anom applications, which is a kind of acknowledgment to the cantonal Ministry of Internal Affairs.
As a step forward in civilization, he evaluated the amendment of the legal legislation in such a way that the election of the police commissioner of the Canton is completely depoliticized because that person must not be a member of any political party, as well as members of the Police and Independent Boards and bodies for citizens’ complaints.
In April of last year, the Draft Law on Misdemeanors was proposed to prescribe appropriate sanctions for increasingly frequent violence via the Internet, with the aim that the Internet will be treated as a public space in the future and that appropriate punishments be prescribed for perpetrators of this type of violence, especially against children. A working group has been formed that will supplement the text with appropriate comments and suggestions from the public debate, so Minister Katica believes that the Sarajevo Canton will soon have the above law in force.
Speaking about the safety of citizens in traffic, he points out that the MUP monitors the situation and plans preventive actions, and one of the first measures implemented is the deployment of police patrols from the so-called ‘sterile’ to the so-called ‘dangerous places’ in Canton, where pedestrians are particularly at risk; a plan for the acquisition of radars for those locations was made, and from the middle of 2023, the temporary confiscation of vehicles from multiple traffic violators is applied, so that year 82 were confiscated, and in January and February 2024, 40 vehicles were confiscated.
Katica is an advocate of passing a law that will enable the permanent confiscation of vehicles from drivers who endanger citizens by bragging on the roads, and an amendment to the legal norms has been requested in order to increase the penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Speaking about criminality related to the abuse of narcotic drugs, Katica advocates the adoption of a law on the probation service because 60 percent of these delinquents continue to commit crimes. Simply, the system does not resocialize such offenders, but it is in the general perception, and baselessly, the police always ‘blame’ that the perpetrators continue to commit criminal acts, he said among other things.
He points out that work is underway on a program to prevent the abuse of narcotic drugs, with a focus on road users, as well as that, in addition to other measures such as complete video surveillance coverage, money is planned for the purchase of testers that determine whether a road user is under the influence of narcotic drugs.
When it comes to equipping police officers, a very systematic approach is devoted to it, says Minister Katica, so soon there will be talks about procuring a multi-purpose helicopter for the needs of the police.
The percentage of juvenile crime was significantly reduced, and in the period 2021-2024. and the rate of the so-called of property crime in the Canton, he asserted, presenting the members of the Canton Assembly with information related to the security situation, that is, the activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in order to improve it, Fena writes.
