Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama at a meeting with leaders of the State Police:

 

Dearest leaders of the State Police,

Mr Director General,

Chairman and members of the Security Committee,

Dear Minister

It is a pleasure, and I feel honoured to be here today and wish the minister of Interior Fatmir Xhafaj good luck with his job, and wish all of you a successful continuation in carrying out a huge job started 3 and a half years ago, from a critical point of the State Police to where we are today, at a point where a lot has been done, but even more remains to be done.

We can never forget that 3 and a half years ago the State Police was an untrustworthy institution for the public as much as the courts and the prosecutor’s office.

After three and a half years, not based on our opinion, but according to professional surveys of the European Commission, the State Police is today the most trusted institution by the public opinion.

The increased reliability of this vital structure for the rule of law and on our way to make state has been evidenced in many ways, starting from the exponential growth in the number of calls to national emergencies, the unique number 112, or the constant growth of downloads and reports on the Digital Police Station application.

What is a reason of pride and satisfaction to proceed further with even more determination, is the increasingly positive reaction of citizens following calls and reports to the Digital Police Station on the breach of law or coexistence rules. A success story that should continue as the most meaningful expression of the fact that the State Police supports the citizens, serves them, and continues with the citizens in its efforts to make state.

The challenges are huge and not unknown, starting from the challenge for a deeper and further escalation of the war against cannabis cultivation. After the destruction of the “Republic of shame” in Lazarat, and the extremely meaningful and encouraging results against the cultivation of cannabis in this period, we have every reason to consider 2017 as the year that will end this long history. It did not begin in 2013, as it is rooted in the past, but the conditions are all there for this history to have its epilogue in 2017.

The work started this year, with ongoing detailed checks throughout the territory to prevent further planting and cultivation of cannabis, including other state structures in the framework of the new National Plan against cannabis, and the personal accountability of every police employee for every root cultivated, are an encouraging basis for us to be proud in front of the people and international partners in autumn of this year, and give Albania a very positive mark in relation to this phenomenon inherited from the past and developed over the years.

Today, the State Police has full control of the territory also in terms of informal constructions, logging and continuation of joint work with other state structures to prevent abuse of shared assets of energy and water.

But even in this respect there is still much to be done, especially to continue preventing speculation and abuses facilitated at this stage because of the elections, both with regard to illegal constructions, logging and other abusive performances that are the inertia of the past.

A fact that is very encouraging and makes us look forward with more courage, more determination and more optimism, is the seizure of approximately 100 million Euros of criminal assets, compared with the year before we embarked on this new path to make state, when only 1 million Euros of criminal assets were seized.

There is no question that in these three and a half years, Albania has marked an historic decrease in the number of homicides compared with the previous 25 years. This thanks also to the preventive work of the State Police that faces in time and with accountability the conflicts that prevent their further degradation to self-judgement. Zero murders for blood feud in the last three years are another reason to be proud and to be optimistic that we can do much more.

Of course prevention is not news. Murder is news. Those that have been prevented are part of your work and a basis for your analysis, but at the end of the day, your work is measured by what happens in the public eye.

I am convinced that the new minister will continue with high professional competence and unwavering will a comprehensive reform process of the State Police, where as chairman of the Law Committee has been a strong point of support of our government, together with the Chairman and members of the Security Committee, who are the mainstay of the State Police and of the Ministry of Interior in the reform process, through the approval so far of 13 laws to reform the security sector of the State Police in terms of Services, Internal Affairs and Claims, private services of physical security, weapons, asylum and so on.

The new and functional relationship with the Parliament, after entering a phase where the law is not anymore the party membership card, is a relationship that will undoubtedly continue.

I am convinced that the new minister will strengthen significantly the important aspect of keeping with the modernization reform in the State Police. The one-stop-shop offices across the country providing 75 services are a novelty and a basis for the transformation of the mentality of the relations between the State Police and citizens. The Ministry of Interior remains a champion in the technological revolution. Through technological transformation projects and technological innovations, such as body cameras or the digital station, for service transparency and competitiveness guarantees, the Ministry of Interior not only has today the right to feel proud of what has been done, but it also has the obligation to do even more in this regard.

The fact that it is on top of the list, based on the latest analysis of this sector of technological transformation, makes the Ministry of Interior a leader in the innovation process and gives the State Police new and very efficient instruments so that it can carry out its job with much more results, by spending much less physical energy in the territory.

The challenge to renew the State Police is open. Challenge to raise the level of education of the State Police is open. Let’s not forget that we inherited the oldest and most uneducated police in the region, without getting into comparisons with the European Union. Today we have a 33% increase in the number of employees in possession of a graduation degree. It is not enough.

Today we have 1500 students who have been admitted in the past 3 years in the reborn State Police Academy. It is not enough because we still have to come to terms with a past where no police officer was trained in 10 years.

We were discussing with the Director General, and the figures he showed us in terms of the gap that is still to be filled are very disturbing. We must move on much more quickly in this direction. The new minister will focus specifically on the Police Academy, to provide all the logistical and financial support and to seek a further increase in the level of teaching and training of the new police officers.

A success story widely known is the Traffic Police that has been transformed not only in the looks, but also in behaviour and results, and this must go on. The awareness campaigns and stricter penalties for violations of safety rules have given encouraging results. This should continue not only with the campaigns, but also with further results that are rightfully expected from the application of progressive fines, and from the amendments that will be made to the Highway Code for toughened measures for drivers who use mobile phone, or other aspects and to have these measures unified with the EU legislation, where playing with cars is not only prohibited but severely punishable.

We have a success story that should continue with the restoration of confidence of international law enforcement agencies in our State Police, and with the improvement of information exchange. The number of information exchanged is enormous, if compared with three and a half years ago. Even cross-border cooperation of Albania with Kosovo or Montenegro is regarded not from us but from our partners as an exemplary cooperation in the region. Just as cooperation with Greece, Italy and Macedonia can be considered significantly improved, but there is still much to do.

Another important aspect of the work of the Ministry of Interior and of the State Police is the professional escalation and that of increased intelligence against radicalism, violent extremism and terrorism, as a result of radicalization and violent extremism in view of our solemn commitment as members of the coalition against ISIS and all other forms of terrorism, which in the context of regional security has been highly rated by the American State Department, both for the changes made to the legal framework, and for criminal proceedings and the results achieved in cooperation with regional partners.

The European Union and the United States consider Albania a very important ally in this battle, and an essential actor in the region against recruiting networks of foreign fighters, both in the Republic of Albania and wider in the region.

We have been removed from the black list of the State Department for human trafficking and treatment of the trafficking victims, but also in this respect the challenge is not closed. It is open. We must continue working with seriousness and determination.

It was not accidental, but rather a very clear and resolute approach of the government policy to increase salaries of the State Police, and attention to its troops with regard to healthcare and insurance. Salaries of the State Police have increased 45% in these 3 and a half years. The government has decided to compensate the property of any police officer, if it is damaged because of the duty.

If in the 8 years prior to our arrival in office, the police salaries were cut twice, and for more than two years police officers did not receive bonuses for overtime, today this is a story that belongs to the past. We have shown and will continue to show with determination our respect for the sacrifice of every police officer and for the results of the State Police, ensuring that our police will be the most well paid in the region, and the only thing we ask it is to become the most exemplary police in the region. This is entirely possible to reach in 8 years the goal that we have announced publicly; so, we have four years left to make the State Police be above the average of the police in the European Union.

We have done more in terms of infrastructure. You know this because you work with new vehicles, new motorcycles, and so on, but we are aware that we have to do more. I look forward to being together with the Minister and the General Director in the new unit of RENEA which will finally have a home of their own, as they deserve it for everything they have given and give the people and the country in the field of security.

What has been the motto of Minister Tahiri remains the motto of Minister Xhafaj: the fight against corruption, in which the police should always be more engaged, starts every day from ourselves. Law enforcement and punishment of abusive behaviour at all levels begin at the State Police. Criminal or disciplinary punishment of over 25% of the police forces, starting from the first year of office of Minister Tahiri, is a positive example that should continue. It cannot be room in the State Police for employees who breach the law or abuse the uniform of the State Police, for employees who interact with those whom the State Police has the duty to fight, arrest and bring in front of justice authorities. There’s a very solid basis in this view, but still a lot remains to be done.

A lot remains to be done so that not only the breach of law, but also the violation of ethics in the communication between the state police officers and citizens remain in history and not become a widespread practice in Albania. The toll-free number to report the abusive behaviour of police officers, or display the number of the minister at any police station or border crossing point have given the first results, but this should continue to give further results.

Allow me once again to express in front of you all the gratitude, respect and appreciation to the previous minister for everything he has done together with you. At the same time, let me express my deep conviction that the new Minister of Interior will take forward together with you, with new results, with sustained achievements and an unwavering line of success, the work that we started three and a half years ago. I am convinced that minister Xhafaj will bring in this institution experience, professionalism, integrity and a remarkable sense of respect for each employee, but also the iron discipline in the functioning of the entire chain of command of the State Police.

I am convinced also that, as the role of the Director General and other directors is being strengthened, the process of interaction between the minister, the political team and leaders of the State Police will continue and will lead further a process where we want the State Police be an inviolable authority in terms of its work and career of everyone regardless of political changes. I’m not talking about changes within a political force, but I’m talking about changes in the perspective of political forces in the government.

Much respect!

Good luck and successes to the Minister!