The Police Directorate cannot adequately respond to security challenges without a unified, synergistic, synchronized and declarative approach from other authorities, especially judicial institutions, it was announced at a meeting between the Director of the Police Directorate, Lazar Šćepanović, and representatives of the non-governmental sector.
The statement states that on Friday, Šćepanović met with the executive director of the Human Rights Action (HRA) Teo Gorjanc Prelević and the director of the Women's Rights Center Maja Raičević.
"The goal of the meeting was to provide a closer presentation of the activities that the Police Directorate is implementing to respond to current security challenges and the concrete steps that the Police Directorate has taken after the two tragic events in Cetinje," the statement said.
In this context, as stated, Šćepanović highlighted as key activities the initiated and current procedures for organizational changes and strengthening capacities for rapid response to high-risk unforeseen dynamic situations and the strengthening of regional security centers, departments and police stations.
"Providing the necessary funds for work, technical and technological improvement of capacities, and as a priority - strengthening the personnel of the Police Directorate through the employment of the missing number of police officers and, upon completion of the creation of conditions - actualizing the work of policing in the community," the statement added.
Šćepanović reminded that the Police Administration, in order to raise the level of security of the citizens of Cetinje, has taken measures by deploying missing police officers from the Police Academy to the Royal Capital and by engaging additional officers on a daily basis in the form of assistance from other regional security centers.
"By forming stationed patrols and intervention groups and engaging the Special Police Unit in Cetinje in the form of assistance, the presence of a larger number of police officers in Cetinje has now been ensured in real time, compared to the previous period," the statement says.
Also, as Šćepanović stated, a permanent 24/7 duty of the Special Police Unit has been established, measures have been taken to strengthen coordination at the local and central levels with a focus on priority continuous training of police patrols that are the first to react in crisis situations to stop, isolate and neutralize the threat until the arrival of specialized units with the aim of optimization and full interoperability.
"Measures have also been implemented to link the Special Police Unit with the Aviation and Helicopter Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP), in order to ensure rapid engagement and greater operational range of the unit throughout the territory of Montenegro," the statement added.
Speaking about the Law on Weapons, proposed by the Ministry of the Interior, Šćepanović said that the Police Directorate participated in the drafting of that law through a working group.
"With proposals that, among other things, include a more restrictive approach to issuing firearms licenses, stricter criteria for medical fitness, the introduction of continuous security checks, a shortening of the validity period of firearms licenses, and the implementation of mechanisms that examine the real need for possession of weapons," Šćepanović specified.
According to him, the Law on Weapons fully implements the proposals of the so-called "Marko and Mašan Law".
Šćepanović said that, according to the information he has, the law is in the final stage of harmonization with the relevant ministries, and that he expects it to be submitted to the competent domestic and foreign bodies for their opinion soon.
The meeting, as announced, highlighted the efforts of the Police Directorate, in addition to existing challenges, to ensure a continuous process of reforming its own capacities and professionalizing police personnel, with an emphasis on specialist training, respect for human rights in accordance with the recommendations of the CPT, improving procedures, and strengthening integrity.
It was stated that the Police Directorate remains committed to transparent and professional work, the principles of the rule of law, the protection of human rights, the safety of citizens, constructive dialogue with the civil sector, institutions and citizens, further reforms and a clear distribution of responsibilities of the system as a whole.
"The Police Directorate cannot provide an adequate response to security challenges without a joint, unified, synergistic, synchronized and declarative approach from other authorities, especially judicial institutions, based on the results so far," the statement said.
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