State police agencies approved to admit 225 cadets, competitions await new government and new directors

(Patria) – The admission of cadets into three state police agencies could be on hold until the formation of a new government or the appointment of new heads of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies, the Border Police, and the Deputy Director of SIPA. Recall, the appointment of six officials in three police agencies has been pending for four months. It is evident that the new government will have the task of appointing new directors and deputies.  

Although the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the proposal of the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, last week adopted a Decision on establishing the Plan for the admission of cadets into police agencies at the level of institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2022, specifically into the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) 10 cadets for the rank of police officer and 10 cadets for the rank of junior inspector, into the Border Police (BP) of Bosnia and Herzegovina 125 cadets for the rank of police officer and 25 cadets for the rank of junior inspector, and into the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies (DCPB) of Bosnia and Herzegovina 50 cadets for the rank of police officer and five cadets for the rank of junior inspector, as things stand now, the announcement of competitions will wait for "more favorable political circumstances" and the new government. 

From the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in response to Patria's inquiry, they could not answer when the competition for 150 new police officers would be announced.

„In accordance with the Law on Police Officials of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a public advertisement for the admission of cadets is published in at least three daily newspapers distributed throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and remains open for 30 days from the date of publication. The public will be informed in a timely manner, as before, when the public advertisement is published.

The same Law prescribes general conditions for the admission of police officials into initial ranks of the first and second levels, i.e., for the rank of police officer and the rank of junior inspector, and these same conditions are stated in the text of the public advertisement,“ they state in the response from the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is known that the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a deficit of police officers, and due to departures from the agency for various reasons, it is necessary to fill the missing personnel.

An additional problem for the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the competition for 150 cadets from 2021, which was never concluded due to a criminal proceeding against six individuals who rigged the competition for the admission of cadets and took money from candidates for that purpose. 

Many candidates who were on the list in September 2021 have already left Bosnia and Herzegovina, found other jobs, and some of them are ready to file lawsuits.

Neither from the State Investigation and Protection Agency could they confirm when the competition will be announced.

Funds for the payment of compensation to cadets and financing of employment will be secured in the budgets of police agencies at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other funds needed for the training of cadets in the budget of the Agency for Education and Professional Training of Personnel.