Security experts: Establish PK commissions dealing with psychiatric - problem police officers

Police officials must constantly submit to psychological checks, not only when accepted as members of this institution. Thus, they have claimed Kosovo's connoisseurs of security issues in Kosovo, who stress that police proven to have psychic-type problems should immediately be taken away with weapons.

This week's former police official, Valdete Blace, killed four of her family members, and then herself, the crime allegedly was done with official weapons. Kosovo police had confirmed that Blace had had had mental problems.

Through a media communique, Kosovo police admit there are also a considerable number of officials who have different health/psicological problems.

According to this report by the police, there are 20 police officials released from the official weapon so far because of the health problems of psychological nature. Of this number, four officials are found on special medical leave classed as a special health case.

The plan is said to be based on medical criteria and standards for periodic medical testing for Kosovo Police Specialisation Units (NJSO), medical controls have been carried out on police officials of the Special Operations Units, with 15 police officials failing to meet the criteria for being operational in the Special Operations Unit.

Regarding this situation within the Kosovo Police, security connoisseur Nuredin Ibishi tells Kosovo that psychological checks against police should be continuous, especially after a traumatic case while at the helm of office.

This is a major concern because even with procedures of internal operating standards which is 07 that concerns the services of the Directorate for Health Services, which says they do some periodic checks of police officials, but I'm still not convinced what those periodic checks are if they have to do with mental health to police. I know the control of the psychologist is done when admission is made to the police, but not in other periodical stages, as they must constantly be dealt with especially after traumatic cases in carrying out the official task they face in the everydayity of”, says Ibishi.

According to Ibishi, even the responsible institutions have not taken the necessary steps to prevent and treat these cases properly.

The recogniser of the security issue says that having such cases in the Kosovo Police risks public security.

Police officials have authorisation and have the obligation to protect the lives of citizens with gun use in a critical case as a last resort, and if they are not stable in a psychic way, they are under stress in anxiety and other mental problems then normal ones will be introduced differently, using weapons can exceed authorization or misuse, as has happened the”, the connoisseur claims.

Ibishi appeals that in the event a member of the Kosovo Police has psychic problems taking over the official weapon until the psychologist finds his condition has improved.

At the moment of the psychic problems of police officials in strict order to take up arms until the one with the psychologist's findings does not exceed that situation of stress or trauma or anxiety”, he stressed.

Even Avni Islami, connoisseur of security issues in Kosovo, has told Kosova Prees that psychiatric medical checks should be subject to even the highest heads of the Kosovo Police Institute.

He says a special commission should be established that deals exclusively with this issue within the Kosovo Police.

Islam even says police officials are becoming the cause of the addition of killings in Kosovo.

There's a serious problem, and not just those 120, but there's got to be general and routine control from the Police Director, commanders to every official person in order to have a sound and efficient police officer. If measures are taken for these 120 police do not risk security, but if left that way and are not sent home or health institutions in order to be treated at least the official weapon must be confiscated. It's actually emerging that one of the main causes of the increase in the number of murders are coming out of the police, so that Kosovo police should form a relevant commission not to cut the Law on Police to regulate”, Islam said over the telephone.

Official Kosovo Police statistics show there have been several victims of official weapons over the years. Three people were killed during 2019 alone.