The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska (RS) undertook a series of measures and activities to ensure that the school year began and passed without security incidents, i.e. the stay of children at school and their journey from home to school took place in a safe manner, said Miloš Brkić, head of Police Department.
According to him, within the framework of the “School policeman” project, which has been in existence for 20 years, activities have been intensified, so during the school year the school policeman will be constantly present in all major school centers in the RS, and in other schools occasionally present in accordance with estimates.
“Given that there is a need for education of police officers who perform the duties and tasks of school police officers, specialist training is underway for 150 police officers,” Brkić said.
He explained that they are experienced police officers who have a sensibility for working with children.
Brkić said that the MUP was actively involved in the program of the Republic Pedagogical Institute of the RS “Care of children, joint responsibility and obligation”, and that they had drawn up a plan of measures and activities for the prevention of peer violence and juvenile delinquency from 2023 to 2027.
As part of that plan, the supervision and control of shooting and airsoft clubs and shooting ranges in the RS was carried out. He reminded that there are 23 shooting ranges, 15 airsoft clubs and 12 shooting ranges, and 21 inspections were carried out and six measures and sanctions were issued.
Police officers inspected all schools, of which there are 582, and a study was prepared with accompanying security assessments for all school facilities and student accommodation facilities, the state of preventive technical protection was reviewed and recommendations were made to the Ministry of Education and Culture of the RS.
Brkić also announced that the campaign “Protect children in traffic” will be implemented from August 28 to September 29, during which police officers will visit schools to prepare for the start of the school year, lectures will be organized for children, and repressive measures will be taken activities near schools due to violations, the most common of which is illegal parking.
According to him, during the last year, 21 traffic accidents where children were involved and who suffered physical injuries were recorded.
Brkić appealed to road users to be more careful, especially near school buildings.
Snežana Radivojević, head of the Criminal Police Directorate, said that in the post-covid period, the number of cases of peer violence in and around schools has increased significantly.
She reminded that a team for juvenile delinquency was formed within this administration, which consists of trained and professionally qualified police officers to respond to all possible problems and tasks.
“We are at the disposal of all citizens, whether it is parents, teaching staff or the children themselves,” emphasized Radivojević.
She pointed out that educational lectures for children, parents and teachers held in all schools in the RS on the topic of child protection in the digital environment are a very important segment for prevention.
The head of the Banjaluka police department, Đurica Vukelic, said that there are 108 primary and 20 secondary schools in the area of the administration, stating that school police officers are present in the central and larger schools and are available to all students.
As a positive example from practice, he cited the case from Prnjavor when students requested the promotion of a school police officer after a student brought a gas gun to school. Thanks to the trust the students had in him, the school police officer prevented unwanted consequences.
Vukelic announced that there will be increased traffic control in Banja Luka on the occasion of the start of the school year, and that, among other things, mobile radar systems will be installed wherever possible, in order to sanction violations.
“I appeal to all citizens to set an example for their children by their behavior, to cooperate with the police and all other relevant institutions, to contribute to ensuring that our children are as safe as possible both in educational institutions and outside them,” said Vukelic, Federalna reports.
