The Two Sides of Sarajevo Police

In just seven days, two attempted murders occurred in Sarajevo. In the first case, which shocked Sarajevans, on March 10th, a jealous wife shot her husband in front of their minor children with a pistol. She wounded him in the leg, and she was ordered into one-month detention. Both of them are, by the way, well-known figures in Sarajevo's dark chronicle for years.

The second case happened on March 15th in the evening. An armed attacker fired several shots from a pistol at a 29-year-old young man. By sheer luck, a greater tragedy was avoided. The attacker was arrested and, following the usual practice, handed over to the prosecutor's office by the police.

Sarajevo police solved both cases in record time, but it is clear that they contribute to the feeling of insecurity among the residents of the capital city. For a long time now, houses, apartments, shops, and pharmacies are locked up as soon as it gets dark, and daily armed robberies are a sufficient reason for this. The perpetrators of these criminal offenses are repeat offenders, and after a 24-hour detention at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, they are most often released. The capacities of detention units have long been full.

Therefore, the system needs a change.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton currently lacks 200 police officers who are ready to protect this city and its residents.

Citizens should not feel the presence of the police only when they are issued a fine for a traffic violation or for jaywalking, or when patrols are increased due to some tragedy, and then, of course, only for a few days, after which everything goes back to normal. This does not contribute to the feeling of security and trust in law enforcement agencies.

There have been no raids or searches of premises for a long time, which would significantly reduce the amount of illegal weapons and drugs on the streets of Sarajevo. The system has failed here too. The court grants permission for this, but without a precisely stated reason or person who would be the subject of the search, the court does not want to grant permission.

The security situation in Sarajevo has been deteriorating for years. The greatest responsibility for this lies with the former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, dismissed commissioner Vahid Ćosić. During his tenure (more than six years until his dismissal in November 2016), there were no active measures to curb crime in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Instead, Ćosić privatized parts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, damaged relationships among police officers, and used resources for private needs, as he did by covering up his son's traffic accident.

His name will be most remembered for the case of the death of the 21-year-old young man Dženan Memić. Even the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office drew Ćosić's attention to unprofessional conduct in this case, but he avoided any responsibility. A series of omissions by several police officers who worked on this case were established. Internal proceedings are underway, and the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office has also dealt with this.

Following public pressure, Ćosić was dismissed from his position as police commissioner. The new head of Sarajevo police is Mevludin Halilović, head of the Uniformed Police Sector. The announcement of a competition for this position is expected soon, which should finally be filled by a true professional, not a person carrying numerous burdens.

Only a commissioner, without hidden agendas, and who is willing to work for the citizens and their safety, not personal interests, can put the system into function and restore trust in that honorable uniform.