Under the Kurti Government, Kosovo police continue to face low salaries, without health insurance and difficult working conditions

The Kosovo Police Union and former members of police have raised concerns about working conditions, lack of equipment and wages that they consider insufficient for the level of risk facing police officials.

Former Kosovo Police Colonel Refki Morina told Online Economy, that police work is constantly dangerous, and for that reason they should have more dignified salaries.

“Knowing the role of security institutions, the Kosovo Police, which plays in protecting order and public calm, I think that wages should be more dignified, that means better, since they are constantly in danger. Their 24-hour work is dangerous, so the special, concrete units must have dignified salaries so they can exist and keep their families. Therefore, a police officer who doesn't have dignified salaries, professionalism, even though professional, can drop their professionalism, because, it means, they're obliged to support their families, their children and thus, it means, they depend entirely on salaries, on income. Therefore, the state has to invest more in wages, invest in the risk of police members, especially relevant operations units, heavy crime units, economic crimes, then drugs, trafficking in other human beings, means in the unit that have a greater risk in terms of work, because they are faced every time with such risk, and the state has to invest more, in police officials, in order to raise both professional and humane, so that they can have the will to go and carry out their duty on the rule of law, Morina said.

He said Kosovo police continue to face lack of logistics and basic equipment for work.

We've consistently had problems with logistics, so a professional police officer, capable of defending public order and calm, should also have their technical and technological equipment. For example, in some Kosovo police areas there are no vehicles, in some countries there are no clothing, the most basic things a policeman should be equipped with to do their jobs and tasks. Also, at the assigned units, which 24 hours are online for certain actions, they must also have food from the institution, for free, because good food and clothing keeps police from being in more effective, more conscious, more careful, and other tasks. That's why we have such shortages and I think that inside procurement and police management should do everything they can to get these things, technically and technologically, fixed. For example, we have a shortage of computers, we have a shortage of other photocopies, which many times police officers have been forced to carry out tasks with their money, photocopied the official side of the documents outside the police station, which is prohibited by law. Therefore, to stop these illegal actions, not to buy me part of the uniform in the underground, the institution, the internal management of the Kosovo Police, to ensure that their technique and technology are at the right level, because they patrol 24 hours of non-stop and if the car is not in order, if there is no car, then it means that the speed of exit to the scene, the planning of various cases and calls of citizens can be delayed”, Morina said.

According to him, resignations by Kosovo Police are also taking place as a result of dissatisfaction with wages and promotions.

The “unfortunately has resigned from police officials, due to insufficient salaries, then due to insufficient neglect to police officials in carrying out their official duties, in their internal promotions, which degrees in their other positions often demoralise them, and due to such demoralisations are obliged to leave the Kosovo Police”, Morina said.

Meanwhile, Kosovo Police Union Chairman Avdi Hoti, in a written response to Online Economy, said the lack of health insurance and vitality remains one of the police's main concerns.

“The working conditions and the welfare of police officers, lack of health insurance and vital to police officials, is one of the main challenges and concerns. The risks of risklessness are considered insufficient compared to the risk of work. Work on night shifts or custody is not paid enough. Physical conditions on the ground, lack of basic infrastructure at several points”, he said.

He said Kosovo police continue to lack operational means and modern equipment.

“There are shortages in operational tools, such as cars, various defence devices and modern technology, and lack of more advanced equipment. The resignations of police officers at different times have created vacuums in the Kosovo Police, but have been for various reasons these resignations, not only for salary reasons, but also for reasons that police officials have secured better jobs and have found themselves better outside the Kosovo Police”, Hoti said.

He added that the Police Union continues to seek approval of the police pension law at 55.

“As far as the Police Retirement Law is concerned at the age of 55, the Kosovo Police Union has always insisted that this law be done as soon as possible and enter into force immediately, and that it be like the KSF law or similar to the KSF law, but so far it is not in force, even though it is necessary for the Kosovo Police”, he said.

Hoti also spoke of the lack of uniforms, blaming procurement processes and the cancellation of tenders.

“Unitforms in the Kosovo Police are flawed and since 2021 the Kosovo Police have had challenges in this regard, even though there has always been commitment to obtain uniforms, but the problem has been the Procurement Inquisitorial Organisation, which has cancelled the tenders that have been declared winners, where the Kosovo Police recently in local courts, both in the Founding Court, have won these materials, and so has been acquired in the Court of Appeals, and very soon Kosovo Police will equip new uniforms, he said.