Civilian Police Services

UNMIK Police

At end May, international civilian police levels deployed in Kosovo were at around 77 per cent of authorized strength, which itself is far lower than levels regarded as the necessary minimum. The total of over 3,600 includes some 200 border police and 1,100 special police available for crowd control and other special duties. The special police, which operate as national units, are supplied by Pakistan (115 police officers), Jordan (two units totalling 240 officers) and India (two units totalling 115 officers).
The manpower level enables UNMIK Police to take full responsibility only for policing the Pristina and Prizren regions, the border crossing points with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia at Djeneral Jankovic/ Hani i Elezit and Gllobocicë/Globocica, and at Pristina airport. In addition, UNMIK Police has investigative authority in the regions of Gjilan/Gnjilane and Mitrovica/Mitrovice as well as in the Pejë/Pec municipality.

In areas where UNMIK Police has not assumed full law enforcement responsibility it retains primary responsibility for criminal investigations. Non-investigative law enforcement functions in such areas are carried out by KFOR with support and advice from the civilian police professionals. In addition, UNMIK Police runs the Pristina and Mitrovica detention facilities.

Functionally, UNMIK Police carries out investigations, undertakes street patrols, maintains public order, polices Kosovo's borders and controls traffic. In addition, a number of non-police tasks continue to demand between 15-20 per cent of available UNMIK Police resources at any one time. They include tasks such as guarding of banks and UNMIK money transfers and providing security for public transport, humanitarian convoys, customs officers, courts and judicial personnel. UNMIK Police also supplies VIP protection for foreign dignitaries and for representatives of minority communities.

In response to the shortfall in strength, UNMIK has, since the very beginning of the mission, been pioneering new techniques in military civilian cooperation in law enforcement. Joint operations with KFOR are now employed throughout Kosovo and allow the low number of police officers to be significantly bolstered by military personnel and resources. Such operations are complex and demand a highly cooperative and flexible approach from both the military and the police. In Mitrovica, KFOR and UNMIK have established a joint operation centre, a joint strategic planning group and carry out joint security operations for weapons searches.

UNMIK Police also continues to work towards the development of professional capacities to counter organized crime affecting Kosovo and the region. A comprehensive criminal intelligence structure within UNMIK Police including both centralized and regional elements, will soon be established with the support of Member States. The establishment of this mechanism, as well as international police cooperation, will be an important step forward in the fight against organized crime.

Kosovo Police Service

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The Kosovo Police Service (KPS) is the future police for Kosovo. A special sub-section of UNMIK Police, under the direction of the Deputy Commissioner for Planning and Development, is tasked with its development. The Kosovo Police Service School (run by the OSCE) and UNMIK field training and enforcement offices cooperate as part of a strategic plan to train and deploy 2,000 KPS officers by January 2001.

UNMIK Police has received and processed more than 27,000 applications for the KPS. Of those selected, a second batch of 176 officers graduated from the police school in Vucitrn on 19 February and followed the first group (first class) of 174 graduates into field training. Once they complete the 19-week training with UNMIK Police officers, the KPS officers will be given executive authority. The third class of 250 students began training on 21 February.

Recruitment and selection of KPS candidates reflects demographic and geographic criteria and includes rigorous written and aptitude tests, oral interviews and regular evaluation during the basic police course and field training. Background screenings of all KPS trainees are carried out continuously during school training, field training and eventual deployment.

In this context:

• UNMIK has established a representation target of about 15 per cent for minorities for the future KPS. Thus, in view of the difficult situation of many Serbs in post-conflict Kosovo, Serb recruitment to the KPS has become a priority. Five Serbs graduated in the first basic course and have been deployed in the UNMIK Police station in Gracanica; the second class includes 28 Serbs.

• Reflecting the representation target set for women in the KPS, women make up about 25 per cent of the recruits.

• Three KPS candidates have been removed from the training process, two on disciplinary grounds and one for misconduct.

• For now the KPS trainees are serving as an integral part of UNMIK Police, under the supervision and command of the UNMIK Police Commissioner and his designated international officers.

  UNMIK believes that significant participation of the local population in the police force is sure to increase the public's confidence in law and order and enhance the operational effectiveness of the UNMIK Police. UNMIK Police is therefore planning to recruit greater numbers of KPS members from the ranks of former police officers, many of whom were expelled by the Belgrade regime between 1989 and 1992. The KPS has also proved to be a viable employment alternative qualified former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), who today make up 50 to 55 per cent of the recruits. UNMIK Police continues to promote active recruitment of former KLA members for the KPS.
  KPS officers receive a salary of DM 300 per month. Although considered relatively low this is in line with sustainable levels for public sector salaries.