UNMIK Police Briefing Notes
02 JULY 2002

KPS OFFICER RESCUES WOMAN

A 67 year old K Albanian female owes her life today to the bravery of a Kosovo Police Service Officer who volunteered to enter the shaft of a well to rescue her.

The woman had apparently fallen into the well at the family home near Gnjilane. She was trapped, alive but seriously injured, in the water at the base of the well.

When firefighters were unable to rescue her a KPS Traffic policeman volunteered to be lowered 40 feet down, in complete darkness, to locate the victim.

He succeeded in finding her and raising her to the surface. She was taken to the local hospital for treatment.

Officer Razim AHMETI is to be commended for his bravery.

BORDER POLICE DETER HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Over the past week UNMIK Border Police at Pristina Airport have prevented the entry of a total of 32 persons whom they believed to be entering Kosovo for the purpose of illegal entry into Western Europe.

On the 27th of June, 14 Turkish citizens were detained as they arrived at the airport on a flight from Istanbul. Due to concerns that the letters of invitation they carried were false, they were not allowed to disembark and flew back to Istanbul.

On the 1st of July, 18 additional Turkish citizens arriving on two flights were suspected of being illegal migrants and were sent back without being allowed to disembark at the airport.

CRIME OVERVIEW FOR JUNE

The past week has been without any murders in Kosovo. As you know, we have made an arrest in the tragic murder of a 17 year old woman in Peje region last week. A K Albanian juvenile male is in custody and several weapons have been recovered.

Throughout the month of June we have recorded 8 murders. We have made 12 arrests for murder cases that are under investigation.

In the past month, 370 arrests have been made, 75 of those for major crimes such as rape, robbery, arson and serious assault. Those 75 major crime arrests represent a clearance rate of 50% in the 149 major crimes reported in June. That rate will rise as the ongoing investigations conclude with suspects identified and arrested.

Violent crime continues to decline and it is significant that the majority of criminal acts are now not directed at people, but against property.

Press Advisory
02-07-02

REPORTED PLANNED DEMONSTRATION

UNMIK Police have seen news media reports indicating demonstrations are planned in Pristina for Thursday, 4 July, 2002. However, no demonstration organizers have notified UNMIK Police of any demonstrations for that date.

The law governing public events, such as demonstrations, requires that Police be notified 48 hours in advance in order for a permit to be issued. Demonstrations held without the required permit will be considered illegal.

The news media are requested to make contact with the demonstration organizers to confirm the date of the event so the correct information can be disseminated.

UNMIK is committed to preserving the right of the people to demonstrate peacefully. However, demonstrations normally cause disruptions for pedestrian & vehicle traffic. UNMIK Police requires the organizers of such events to provide advance notice so the disruptions can be minimized.

UNMIK Police Press Release
02-07-02

MID-YEAR CRIME STATISTICS

UNMIK Police recorded the following crime statistics for Kosovo during the period of 01-01-02 to 06-30-02, and the statistics for the same period during 2001 are included for comparison.

The statistics clearly indicate that crime in Kosovo is stabilizing as UNMIK Police and the Kosovo Police Service are able to devote more resources to the investigation of ordinary crime. The statistics also demonstrate that the security situation in Kosovo is improving. Additionally, the apparent increase in Rape/Att. Rape is believed to represent a greater willingness on the part of the victims to report such crimes to the police. This increased willingness to report such crimes is the result of increasing confidence in the civil authorities for Kosovo

Major Offenses      2001        2002       % Change

Murder              69          34          -49 
Att. Murder         116         92          -20
Kidnapping          80          55          -31
Att. Kidnapping     54          30          -44 
Rape/Att. Rape      57          68          +19 
Grev. Assault       153         107         -30 
Arson               136         85          -37 
Robbery             282         200         -29
Total               947         671         -29 

Murder victims by ethnicity: 32 Albanians, 1 Serbian, 1 Bosnian
Murder suspects by ethnicity: 28 Albanians, 1 Serbian, 1 Bosnain, 11 Others

There were 250+ fatal traffic accidents in 2000, 159 fatal traffic accidents in 2001, and 41 so far in 2002. UNMIK Police and KPS officers issued 215,095 traffic tickets during 2001 and issued 114,709 during the first half of 2002.. The increased traffic enforcement is believed responsible for the decrease in fatalities.

Derek CHAPPELL Barry FLETCHER
Chief of Press and Public Information Office of Press and Public Information
UNMIK Police HQ, Pristina UNMIK Police HQ, Pristina
_________________________________________________________________
For additional information, contact the UNMIK Police Office of Press and Public Information at Police MHQ in Pristina: Tel. (381)-38-504-604-5071, FAX 5073.

The information in this report is accurate to the extent of the information known at the time of it's writing. However, further investigations may result in changes to what previously have been reported.