Korajlić: Psychological tests for police officers should be regulated by the Law on Internal Affairs

The news that an inspector of the Federal Police Administration, Haris Tabaković, brutally killed his girlfriend in Sarajevo has once again raised many questions about who works in the police force, writes the Patria news agency.

This is the third case since 2012 where police officers have killed their girlfriends. Enes Muslić, also an inspector of the FMUP who was on duty, killed Amila Sabljić. At the end of June 2012, he pleaded guilty, and on July 10 of the same year, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Two years later, in 2014, Rasim Pljevljak (42), a member of the Special Support Unit of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), killed Sadeta Alomerović (34) and seriously wounded her two-year-younger brother Samed, after which he committed suicide.

As we were told by several Ministries of Internal Affairs across BiH, this issue is handled differently from one Ministry to another, but most often police officers undergo a psychological test only once, during employment.

Otherwise, the Law on Police Officers of the FBiH states that "candidates who meet the conditions for admission to the police are tested in the following order: a) general knowledge test, including a written paper; b) physical fitness test; c) medical examination; d) psychological examination, including a test and interview; e) other tests that the police authority deems necessary or justified".

- Mostly, only that one test is done, but if the superior assesses that it would be necessary to conduct psychological tests, they are done exceptionally – says our source from the FUP.

Nedžad Korajlić, Dean of the Faculty of Criminalistics, Criminology and Security Studies, says in an interview with Patria that it would be good for individuals who perform jobs that involve carrying weapons and where a murder or accidental unfortunate event can occur, to undergo periodic psychological tests.

- In any case, it would be good to periodically assess people, of course, along with psychological tests. This requires discussion and legal regulation so that it is not left to someone's discretion to decide whether tests are needed or not. This should be regulated by the Law on Internal Affairs of the FBiH – says Korajlić.

He adds that police work is like any other job, but also a job that has its stresses.

- The stress is particularly high because we also have night shifts. Sometimes people want to work in the police, but they are not capable and skilled enough to bear that responsibility. Some want to work in the police to have a pistol, an official ID, power, authority... The assessment and elimination during employment are certainly important here, and a lot can be seen there – added Korajlić.