Premier Halilagić: We will declare a Day of Mourning in TK, but as a society we must wake up

(Patria) - Prime Minister of Tuzla Canton Irfan Halilagić spoke today on social media regarding the tragedy that struck Gradačac yesterday. He stated that throughout the day they were gathering information and details about this crime. He expressed condolences to the families of the three murdered fellow citizens and wished a swift and successful recovery to those injured in these tragic events. He announced that the day of the funeral of the victims in Gradačac will be declared a Day of Mourning in Tuzla Canton.

"I certainly want to express gratitude and pay respect to the citizens of Gradačac who went through all of this, endured it, and responded responsibly to the call of the authorities, thereby probably preventing even more tragic events.

Even a day later, it is difficult to find words for all the horrific things that happened yesterday. Brutality, monstrosity, evil. A brutal execution broadcast live on a social network, accompanied by the incomprehensible approval of a few individuals through likes and comments, further disturbed the public and any sane mind.

A detailed investigation will reveal the system's failures, which are indisputable, as well as those of every individual, and accordingly, there should be and will be no mercy. Everyone must bear responsibility for the consequences of their possible actions or inactions.

We opened the issue of security and dealt with it all summer after the shooting at the Lukavac elementary school, defining measures at the Assembly and the Government that need to be implemented to raise the security segment (primarily in schools) to a higher level. Some measures will be implemented urgently at the beginning of the school year, others are long-term in nature, but they are certainly aimed at a higher degree of safety for students and teaching staff.

We have often emphasized that our focus is on improving the safety of citizens and their property and strengthening police structures, equipment, personnel, and capacities. For this reason, we initiated procurements of equipment for police forces and allocated multi-million amounts for this last year, as well as for filling personnel capacities. Unfortunately, procurement procedures are very slow, but we will persevere and certainly invest even more in the area of security. We must.

Every time after such events, a public debate (justifiably) begins in the public about the actions of the competent authorities, security structures, whether more could have been done, whether some event could have been predicted or prevented. From official reports we receive, as well as internal confidential information less accessible to the public, we are aware of numerous timely and preventive reactions by members of security structures that have certainly prevented numerous criminal acts or other unpleasant events/phenomena in our society.

Yesterday too, police officers were determined to sacrifice themselves and their safety to prevent escalation and a tragedy of even greater proportions (although this one is also unprecedented), considering the number of citizens and traffic on the streets of Gradačac. On this occasion, we wish a speedy recovery to the injured police officer of the Gradačac Police Station. One thing is certain, the police are not a militia.

The impression is that citizens have a perception and expect from the police (the police administration) that it can apply a greater form of force, arrest and imprison whomever and whenever it wants, following the example of the former militia. In the existing legal framework, this is not the case; police powers are quite narrowly set, and the topic of more concrete use of force, preventing violence and violent individuals, more adequate protection of potential targets and victims, should be the subject of broader discussions and initiatives. Change is possible and necessary.

The executive and legislative authorities should not comment on the work of judicial institutions, given that it is a separate branch of government. But in the context of the obvious shortcomings of the entire system, of which the judiciary is an important part, especially evident in such and similar events, there is certainly room for discussions and polemics.

And finally, the realization and real state of current social values that are dominant in every sense is particularly disappointing: Various influencers, nudity and semi-nudity, 'art' that promotes drug addiction and narcotics, weapons and violence, gangs and reality shows, false popularity and virality. All that and much more, on the stage of incredibly influential and powerful social networks (whose control needs we have not even 'touched'), through 'liking' and 'sharing' actually influences the creation of a sick society and a monstrous individual without a shred of conscience, respect, morality, or fear.

It is high time we all snap out of it, and without making excuses, decisively, step by step, begin to fix the SYSTEM and SOCIETY in which we live. All together!