Kosovo Police Service
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The Kosovo Police (
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
: ''Policia e'' ''Kosovës'') is the national
policing The police are a constituted body of people empowered by a state with the aim of enforcing the law and protecting the public order as well as the public itself. This commonly includes ensuring the safety, health, and possessions of citizen ...
law enforcement agency A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for law enforcement within a specific jurisdiction through the employment and deployment of law enforcement officers and their resources. The most common type of law enforcement ...
of
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
. It was established in 1999 and took its current form with the 2008 police law. It consists of five departments and eight regional directorates and is represented at the political level by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Administration of the Republic of Kosovo.


History

After the end of the
Kosovo War The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...
, policing in Kosovo was conducted by the
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Привремена административна мисија Уједињених нација на Косову, Privremena administrativna misija Ujedinjenih na ...
(UNMIK) and
KFOR KFOR may refer to: * KFOR (AM), a radio station (1240 AM) licensed to Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, * KFOR-TV, a television station (channel 4 analog/27 digital) licensed to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, * KFOR-TV (Nebraska), a defun ...
. According to the
UN Security Council Resolution 1244 United Nations Security Council resolution 1244, adopted on 10 June 1999, after recalling resolutions 1160 (1998), 1199 (1998), 1203 (1998) and 1239 (1999), authorised an international civil and military presence in the Federal Republic of Yu ...
, UNMIK had a mandate to establish a new police force in Kosovo, and in the meantime, to maintain civil law and order. The predecessor of the Kosovo Police, the Kosovo Police Service (KPS; ) was established on 6 September 1999, with the admission of the first 176 cadets of the KPS into the Police School of Vushtrria. The school was renovated by the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the p ...
(OSCE), which additionally trained the first cadets, establishing a training regime based on Western standards. KPS was subordinated to UNMIK and the UNMIK police commissioner retained command authority over both the international police and KPS. Its name was chosen by the first international police commissioner in
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
, Sven Frederiksen. In February 2008, after Kosovo declared its independence, the force became a
governmental agency A government agency or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government (bureaucracy) that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, s ...
of the Government of the Republic of
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
and was renamed the Kosovo Police (KP; ). The Kosovo Police is overseen by Kosovo's Ministry of the Interior and its mandate is regulated by the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
and the law on police. The Kosovo Police has grown steadily since 1999, and in 2004 reached its planned full size of nearly 7,000 officers. As of 2018, it had around 8,721 employees, with roughly 8,000 of them being police officers, and the remainder either civilian staff or police cadets. The police aims to represent the ethnic representation of the population it serves, with ethnic minorities (
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
,
Bosniaks The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
,
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
,
Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Turkey * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic lang ...
, and Gorani) making up about 10% of its membership, with the remaining 90% being ethnic
Albanians The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...
. In November 2022, during the 2022–2023 North Kosovo crisis, around 300 Serb policemen in the north of Kosovo resigned en masse as a form of protest against the ban on Serbian car plates by the Kosovo Government, leaving the north with effectively no active police force. The Kosovo government reacted by temporarily replacing the resignees with Albanian policemen, which resulted in protests by the local Serb population. The Kosovo Police responded by opening a call for applications for ethnic minorities to replace the resignees.


Organization and Structure

The agency is headed by its director general, who is appointed by the
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
. The director general serves a five-year term. He appoints the directors of each of the five departments of the police, as well as the directors of the eight regional directorates of the police. The agency consists of five departments: the Department of Operations, the Investigation Department, the Border Department, the Department of Support Services, and the Human Resources Department.


Department of Operations

The Department of Operations is the main department of the Kosovo Police and employs the bulk of its members. It is headed by the director of the Department of Operations and consists of three divisions: The Division of Public Safety, the Road Traffic Division, and the Specialized Units Division. The first two form the backbone of the Kosovo Police and deal with issues such as general policing operations, prevention of petty crime, community policing, and road safety. The specialized units support the other two divisions, and they additionally engage in close-protection to VIPs and diplomats, protection of objects with special importance, anti-terrorism operations, and riot control.


Division of Public Safety

The Division of Public Safety is part of the Department of Operations and consists of eight regional directorates of the Police and 40 police stations. The regional directorates are headed by a director, who is appointed by the director general. The only exception is in the north of Kosovo, where Kosovo Serbs form a local majority; there, since the 2013 Brussels Agreement, the regional director is appointed by the Interior Minister, after a joint proposal of candidates by the mayors of
North Mitrovica North Mitrovica; or ''Mitrovicë Veriore'' or North Kosovska Mitrovica, is a town and municipality located in Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 29,460 inhabitants. It covers an area of . North Mitrovica is a par ...
,
Zubin Potok Zubin Potok ( sq-definite, Zubin Potoku; sr-cyr, Зубин Поток) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has an estimated population of 15,200 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consist ...
,
Zvečan Zvečan ( sr-Cyrl, Звечан) or Zveçan ( sq-definite, Zveçani) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 16,650 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consists of a town and ...
and
Leposavić Leposavić ( sr-Cyrl, Лепосавић, ), also known as Leposaviq or Albanik ( sq-definite, Leposaviqi or ''Albaniku''), is a town and the northernmost municipality in the District of Mitrovica, Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has ...
. The forty police stations are headed by station commanders, who are also appointed by the director general. The eight regional directorates are: RD Pristina, RD Gjilan, RD Ferizaj, RD Prizren, RD Gjakova, RD Peja, RD Mitrovica-South and RD Mitrovica-North. The main duties of the Division of Public Safety involve the planning and execution of operations related to general public safety. They conduct patrols, provide security in sports and other cultural events, compile standard operational procedures, engage with the community to build trust, deal with issues related to violence among minors and domestic violence, and are usually the first responders to crime scenes.


Road Traffic Division

The Road Traffic Division is responsible for general traffic safety. They conduct patrols and attempt to prevent road accidents by enforcing the traffic laws, escort the transportation of hazardous materials, monitor the highways, and they are the first responders in case of traffic accidents. They additionally inspect the road infrastructure and make recommendations to the local and national authorities with regards to improvements that would reduce the possibility of accidents.


Division of Specialized Units

The Division of Specialized Units is the third division of the Department of Operations of the Kosovo Police. It includes the Special Operations Unit, the Special Interventions Unit, the K-9 Unit, the Unit for Treatment of Explosives, and the Directorate for Securing of Objects with Special Importance and Personalities. Specialized units conduct tasks such as close protection for Kosovo leaders, diplomats, and other VIPs, antiterrorist operations, detainment of high-risk persons, as well as crowd control and assisting other police departments and units.


= Special Operations Unit (SOU/NjSO)

= The Special Operations Unit (SOU; ) of the Kosovo Police is the largest specialized unit of the agency and it conducts special operations in the whole territory of Kosovo, as needed. The SOU is responsible for maintaining public order in gatherings and protests, controlling riots, arresting high-risk criminals, as well as fighting criminal organizations in the whole territory of Kosovo. SOU has its origins in the Regional Street Crimes Unit (RSCU) which first began operating in 2002 in the Pristina region. It was created and led by CIVPOL Chief Angel G.Queipo, and Deputy Chief Jim Renfrow of the United States, who trained the unit to undertake undercover operations, narcotics interdiction, medium-risk arrest warrants, and public disorder management. CIVPOL Chief Jim Renfrow led the unit until the end of his CIVPOL mission in late 2003 and was then replaced by Peter Willig from Germany. RSCU was commanded by the Pristina Regional Commander from UNMIK, Superintendent Paul Hamlin (Northern Ireland). Afterwards, the name was changed to the Regional Operational Support Units (ROSU), and a separate ROSU unit was placed in each of the then-seven regional directorates of Kosovo. The idea was to operate each unit as a separate "troop" with a commander reporting to the mission commander similar to how the State Police operate in the United States. Following Kosovo's declaration of independence, the ROSU units were centralized and the Special Operations Unit was established.


= Special Intervention Unit (SIU/NjSI)

= The Special Intervention Unit (SIU; ) is a highly-specialized unit, known for its military-style uniforms and discipline. The unit engages in hostage rescue, anti-terror operations, arresting of dangerous criminals, and fighting of criminal organizations throughout the territory of Kosovo. SIU was created in 2003. Initially, it consisted of two
SWAT A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...
units consisting of 15 officers each, who were trained by two American contractors. In March 2005 the SWAT teams were formalized via the launch of the "Special Intervention Group/SIG" (/GSI) project. In the first new recruitment batch, only 18 trainees were selected among hundreds of applicants. SIG was equipped, coached, and trained by a team of UNMIK professional specialised instructors from France, Egypt, Germany, Bulgaria, the US, and Denmark. The unit was reformed in September 2006 and by April 2007 it was renamed to the First Intervention Team (FIT). After Kosovo's declaration of independence, the unit was renamed the Special Intervention Unit (SIU). SIU was involved in the
Banjska attack The Banjska attack (; ) was an armed assault carried out by Serbs, Serb militants against the Kosovo Police which took place in the village of Banjska (village), Banjska located in North Kosovo on 24 September 2023. Between 23 and 24 September ...
on 24 September 2023, in which its troops neutralized an armed group that had earlier murdered a sergeant of the Public Safety Division during a patrol.


=K-9 Unit

= The K-9 (canine) unit is a small specialized unit within the Department of Operations that engages in patrol, narcotics detection, and explosives detection. The unit reports to the central police command and it often coordinates its actions with the Border Police. The unit was established in November 2002. Initially it had five operators for patrolling, but in 2003 it was expanded as a unit with five more operators. Officers completed their basic training in Great Britain and developed their skills under the monitoring of international instructors.


= Unit for Treatment of Explosives

= The Unit for Treatment of Explosives is part of the Department of Operations and responds to calls from all 8 of Kosovo's Regional Police Directorates. The unit specializes in responding to cases of bomb threats, the threat by chemical and biological weapons, disposing of bombs, investigating post-blast scenes, conducting searches in high-risk facilities, compiling expert reports for courts, as well as assisting other specialized units in their operations. The unit additionally closely cooperates with investigation units and the
prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in Civil law (legal system), civil law. The prosecution is the ...
's office in the course of post-blast investigations, bomb threats, and during the arrest of persons who possess illegal explosive devices. The unit was established in 2006.


= Directorate for Securing of Objects with Special Importance and Personalities

= The Close Protection Unit within the Kosovo Police was established in December 1999. After the declaration of Kosovo's independence in 2008, the unit's functions were expanded significantly. As a result, the Directorate for Securing of Objects with Special Importance and Personalities (DSOSIP) was established and the Close Protection Unit became a part of it. Today, the Directorate for Securing of Objects with Special Importance and Personalities consists of the Security Unit of Presidency-Assembly-Government, the Close Protection Unit, the Unit for Securing of Ministerial and Presidential Objects, the Unit for Securing of Police Objects, the Unit for Securing of Diplomatic Objects, and the Unit for Securing of objects of Cultural and Religious Heritage. The units of the directorate provide personal protection to the president, prime minister, speaker of assembly, government buildings, embassies based in Kosovo, as well as objects of cultural or religious importance. The Close Protection Unit also undertakes tactical operations, escorting delegations, and evacuations of both international staff and Kosovo Police officers.


Department of Investigations

The Department of Investigations is one of the five departments of the agency, tasked with law enforcement, the combating of organized crime and corruption. The department is headed by the director of the Department of Investigations. Its specific tasks include the combating of organized crime and corruption, fighting violent extremism and terrorism, collecting evidence for courts, as well as cooperating with international agencies and exchanging information related to international criminal persons and groups. The department consists of three divisions: the Crime Investigation Division, the Division Against Organized Crime, and the Anticorruption Task Force.


The Crime Investigation Division

The Crime Investigation Division is one of the divisions of the Department of Investigations that covers all issues related to crime. It consists of five directorates: the Directorate for Investigation of Serious Crimes, the Directorate for Investigation of Economic Crime and Corruption, the Directorate Against Terrorism, the Directorate for Intelligence and Analysis, and the Directorate for Forensics. The five directorates deal with the investigation of criminal offences against the life and property of other persons, the finding of traces at crime scenes, damage to the environment, offences against the law and the constitutional order of Kosovo, war crimes, collection of intelligence, prevention of terrorist acts by disabling terrorist organizations, and cooperation with other departments of the agency and other agencies in Kosovo and abroad.


Division Against Organized Crime

The Division Against Organized Crime is part of the Department of Investigations and consists of four directorates: the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime, the Directorate for the Investigation of Trafficking with Narcotics, the Directorate for the Investigation of Trafficking with Human Beings, and the Directorate for Investigation Support. The main tasks of the division are related to the prevention and combating of offences related to organized crime, intimidation of witnesses, smuggling of migrants, smuggling of weapons, piracy, kidnappings, cyber-crimes, unauthorized distribution of confidential information, distribution of narcotics, trafficking of human organs, and human trafficking.


Anticorruption Task Force

The Anticorruption Task force is a specialized division of the Department of Investigations that treats cases of misuse of public office. It is an investigative division that directly assists the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo on crimes of financial character and corruption.


Border Department

The Border Department is responsible for controlling and surveying the borders of the Republic of Kosovo. The department is headed by the director of the Border Department. At the national level, it consists of the Division for Controlling and Surveillance of the Borders, and the Division for Integrated Border Management. At the local level, it additionally includes the Regional Border Directorate "West", which is responsible for four border crossings with Albania and three with Montenegro; the Regional Border Directorate "North", which supervises four border crossings with Serbia; and the Regional Border Directorate "East", which manages two border crossings with Serbia and two with North Macedonia. The Border Department strives to ensure the free movement of people, goods, and services, and to prevent cross-border crime. It cooperates with other departments of the agency and with international agencies and institutions. It makes risk assessments and its work mainly consists of observing and monitoring border crossings, and reacting when needed. Kosovo has common border-crossing points with Albania and North Macedonia, meaning that citizens crossing the border are only legitimized once. The Border Department is also responsible for legitimizing travelers at the
Pristina International Airport The Prishtina International Airport Adem Jashari (), also referred to as Pristina International Airport (, ), is an international airport in Pristina, Kosovo. The airport is located southwest of the capital city of Pristina. The airport has flig ...
.


Department of Support Services

The Department of Support Services is one of the five departments of the agency. It is headed by the director of Support Services.


Human Resources Department

The Human Resources Department is the fifth department of the agency. Headed by the director of the Human Resources Department, it is responsible for the hiring and training of police officers. The department is made of two divisions: The Division of Personnel and Administration, and the Training Division. It additionally includes the Commission for Review of the Use of Force, which is responsible for management and administration of the cases of use of physical force by the police officers.


Division of Personnel and Administration

The Division of Personnel and Administration is tasked with identifying recruitment needs, recruitment and hiring of new police officers, monitoring of training programs, identification of the need for promotion in ranks, support of police officers in issues related to mental and physical health, the general welfare of all police officers, and the managing the central archive of the agency. The division consists of four directorates, which are the Directorate of Personnel, the Directorate for Development of Performance and Career, the Directorate for Internal Services, and the Directorate for Health Services.


Training Division

The Training Division is responsible for the creation of curriculum for training programs according to the needs of the agency, the development of contemporary teaching methods, and cooperation with police academies abroad. It consists of the Directorate for Training Support, the Directorate for Mandatory Training, and the Directorate for Specialized and Advanced Training.


Police Inspectorate of Kosovo

The Police Inspectorate of Kosovo is an institution that supervises the operations of Kosovo Police and seeks to provide an accountable, democratic, and transparent police service, in accordance with the law and other required standards. It investigates criminal offences conducted by police officers, as well as violations of operating standards and laws by the institution as a whole. The inspectorate can take action against any member of the Kosovo Police, including the higher executives. The inspectorate is headed by its chief executive officer, who is appointed by, and accountable to, the Minister of Interior of Kosovo.


Interpol membership

In November 2018 Kosovo's application to join
Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
received only 68 votes in favor, 51 against, and 16 countries abstained, even though the Kosovo Police fulfilled the technical criteria to join the
international organization An international organization, also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is an organization that is established by a treaty or other type of instrument governed by international law and possesses its own le ...
that facilitates international police cooperation. Kosovo accused Serbia for lobbying against its application to join the organization and retaliated against Serbia with 100% tariffs on imported goods.


Equipment


Firearms


Vehicles


Unmanned Aerial Vehicles


Insignia


Current

File:Pristina police forensics vehicle - 02.jpg, Forensics File:Kosovo Police logo.png, Kosovo Police Insignia File:Kosovo Police Flag.JPG, Kosovo Police Flag


Historic

File:Kosovo Police Service patch 1999.png, Former emblem of the Kosovo Police Service File:Kosovo Police Service cap badge 1999.png, Former cap badge of the Kosovo Police Service


Gallery

File:Graduation of the 58th Generation of Kosovo Police Academy.jpg, Graduation of 55th Police generation File:Kosovo Police Afghan Refugees.jpg, Kosovo Police welcoming Afghan refugees File:Members of the Kosovo Traffic Police.jpg, Kosovo Police with their equipment File:Kosovo Police 24 year anniversary (8009904).jpg, Kosovo Police officer in its 24th anniversary File:Kosovo Police Bomb disposal.jpg, Kosovo Police Bomb Squad File:Kosovo Police Demonstrate Capabilities (6710744).jpg, Kosovo Police Demonstrate Capabilities File:Kosovo BILAT ACMAT Bastion - Kosovo Special Intervention Unit.webp, Kosovo Police Special Force


See also

* Kosovo Bomb Squad (IED/EOD) *
Kosovo Protection Corps The Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC; , TMK) was a civilian emergency services organization in Kosovo active from 1999 until 2009. The KPC was created on 1999, through the promulgation of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo ...
*
Kosovo Security Force The Kosovo Security Force (KSF) is the military of Kosovo. The KSF is tasked with defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo, military support for civilian authorities, and participation in international Peacekeeping, peacekee ...
* Kosovo Force (KFOR) *
Triumf Riza Triumf Riza (July 5 1979 – 30 August 2007) was a Kosovar police officer, and member of an elite protection unit with the fledgling Kosovo Police Service. He was killed in the line of duty during an ongoing clash with the Enver Sekiraqa gang, ...
;Crime * Crime in Kosovo


References


External links


Kosovo Police Official Website

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Kosovo Center for Public Safety, Education and Development

Special units of Kosovo Police – ROSU
{{Europe topic, Law enforcement in Law enforcement in Kosovo Government agencies established in 1999 1999 establishments in Kosovo