A study of the United States Justice Department Mission in Albania that
assists the Albanian police, ICITAP, describes the logistic situation of
the Albanian Police.
An ICITAP source says for Top Channel that the study was requested by the Interior Minister, Saimir Tahiri, for having an independent and objective scan of the situation.
“The State Police is approaching a crisis point, as regards the operational efficiency, due to the lack of basic elements which make police officers face crime”, a study says.
These are some of the points on the study, which was exclusively secured by Top Channel.
1. 46% of the objects were found in a weak or very weak state. Some of the police buildings that we visited were built during the Italian invasion, in the early 1940s, or even later, and were inadequate for the needs of modern policing in Albania.
2. 70% of the police units and patrolling vehicles were in a bad or very bad state. Vans, SUV and other vehicles used for personal transportation were for 82% of the cases in bad or very bad conditions. None of the vehicles that were checked was newer than five years, while many others were more than 15 years old.
3. In more than 30% of the stations that were visited, ICITAP discovered that the weapons used by the State Police were in bad or very bad conditions. Besides some Directors, who are armed with Berettas, most of the personnel is armed with TT 54 (Tokarev) handguns produced in the 1950s, with increasing safety problems.
4. The usage of technology by the State Police is usually substandard. In 46% of the police stations that were visited, ICITAP discovered that the level of personnel equipped with radios was low or very low. In almost 90% of the cases, ICITAP noted that the supply with computers and printers was low or very low. Most of the police stations had one functional copying machine or printers for meeting the needs of the staff. In many cases employees had bought computers, printers and printer ink with their own money. Insufficient supply with computers and printers increase the chances of the police for facing the increasing challenges in the fight against sophisticated crime.
“ICITAP encourages the Albanian government to act with determination in answering to this increasing crisis. The government must start a well planned strategy for several years, in order to developed all aspects of the infrastructure, of vehicles and police equipment, by closely cooperating with donators”, the study concludes.
Top Channel
