Murders That Harm Public Security

These armed incidents are seen as disturbing by security experts, as they say public security is being violated by crimes of different natures.

The latest murder occurred Thursday, in the Sculerright municipality in the centre of Kosovo. At a café in the village of Runik, a 39-year-old has lost his life as a result of shooting guns, while three others have been injured.

Three days ago, on August 7th, at a bar in the town of Kline, in the western part of Kosovo, a firearm killed a person in his mid-50s.

On August 4th, in a cafe in downtown Pristina, one person was killed and another 17 people were injured during a gunfight.

Between January and July 2023, there have been 14 murders, of which two have been by default, according to Kosovo's order authorities. Meanwhile, 21 murders were registered in 2022, two of which were also caused by negligence.

Guns without permission, disturbing

The large number of illegal weapons in the hands of citizens in Kosovo poses a problem for public safety, says Security Science Professor Avni Islami.

He points out that concern is particularly the fact that the recent days have taken place in locals attended by citizens.

When unauthorized people, with illegal weapons, enter the locals smoothly, the owners of the premises should be careful, or use mechanisms that identify weapons, so that they can be stopped and notified of these persons”, Islam is expressed to Radio Free Europe.

Islam considers that security authorities must step up their actions, to remove arms without permission from the hands of citizens. Thus, he feels that the level of public calm can be increased.

Long weapons, or combat weapons, had to be delivered. Meanwhile, small arms have had to become a state awareness so that citizens who possess weapons can be equipped with permission. And let them know that the weapon allowed for home is not allowed to be carried out of it”, he estimates.

Kosovo police have not provided any figures about the number of weapons without permission in the hands of civilians.

But, a 2015 research by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kosovo, shows there are 250,000 illegal weapons owned by citizens.

Over 600 illegal weapons confiscated for 7 months

The security institutions in Kosovo for years have implemented projects, awareness campaigns and operational plans, which have been linked to the prevention and seizure of illegal weapons, Kosovo Police tell Radio Free Europe.

Over a year, according to the PK, up to 1,500 different illegal weapons are seized and up to 400,000 ammunition from various calibres.

From January to July alone, Kosovo Police state they confiscated 636 illegal firearms, and last year 1,437 Sosh.

To maintain public order and tranquillity, order forces from August 8th have begun implementing an operational plan called “Godit”.

During this plan, a communiqué says, there will be increased police raids on persons and vehicles, with the aim of finding and confiscating weapons and other life - threatening means.

The plan also envisions increasing the number of police patrols, mainly in urban centres, in areas where there are more cafes and bars.

Capital wants its own police.

Kosovo's capital, Pristina, is the city most frequented by citizens, while having the largest number of locals.

For this reason, Pristina municipality officials are considering the urgent need to establish special police for the capital.

The director for security and emergency in the Pristina municipality, Lulzim Fushtica, tells Radio Free Europe that the establishment of this police would prevent eventual crimes, and would raise the level of public security at the Kosovo helm.

Establishment of the capital police is also envisioned with the Law for the capital of the Republic of Kosovo, Pristina, adopted in the Kosovo Assembly in 2018.

Under this law, Kosovo Police must establish the Directorate of Police for the Capital, which will have competence only on the territory of the capital, Pristina.

The law envisions that the head of the capital, after approval by the capital's Parliament, proposes the general director of police at least two candidates for director of the Police Directorate for the Capital.

The proposal of two names for the director, according to Fushtica, is expected to take place at the next meeting of the capital's Parliament.

Meeting date is still unknown, because municipal Asamps are on vacation.

These cops will be present at all points, in all areas of activity, we will actually be able to implement the action plan, community policy, which is one of the main pillars of modern police”, says Fushtica for the REL.

The plan “community policy envisions citizens having the opportunity to recognise police officers who patrol their neighborhoods and communicate with them about their concerns and concerns.

Early citizens' warning, according to Fushtica, can contribute to safer neighborhoods and to a general culture of security.