SIPA: Retirement will not jeopardize the Agency's functioning

(Patria) - Regarding media reports by certain portals concerning a potential "staff imbalance" in 2026 that "threatens" the smooth functioning of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (hereinafter: the Agency), following the retirement of a significant number of Agency police officers after completing 40 years of service, we inform you of the following:

When it comes to meeting retirement conditions, the Agency regularly updates data on the total pensionable service of its employees, and in accordance with the provisions of Article 119, Paragraph (1), Point 3 of the Law on Police Officers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Article 71, Paragraph (1), Point a), Sub-point 1) of the Law on Employment in Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it issues decisions on the termination of employment for employees. Thus, the procedure is clear: after a police officer completes 30 years of effective service and 10 years of insurance service with increased duration (a total of 40 years) in police bodies, they meet the conditions for retirement. Termination of employment on this basis occurs by operation of law and does not depend on the will of the manager.

Regarding staffing levels, at the time of writing this text, the Agency has 720 employees, of which 519 are police officers, from the rank of police officer to the rank of Chief General Police Inspector.

Considering the reports by certain portals about the creation of an imbalance after the retirement of current staff, we inform you that the Agency currently has, among others, 33 police officers of the rank of Independent Inspector, who, after announced and completed procedures for internal promotion to a higher rank, can fill vacant positions in a very short period, in the same manner and according to the same procedures that were followed in the previous period of promotion, as the current officers retiring were Independent Inspectors when the then Chief Inspectors met the retirement conditions and when they retired.

In addition to the above, the Agency has five more Independent Inspectors who are on temporary external transfer to the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina, making a total of 38 Independent Inspectors, of whom 18 are Bosniaks, 12 are Serbs, and 8 are Croats.

Regarding the employment of young staff, we inform you that this Agency pays attention to the recruitment of young and promising staff, and from 2020 to 2025 alone, 144 police officers have been hired through announced and completed external advertisements for the ranks of Junior Inspector and Police Officer. The Agency also plans to hire young staff in 2026.

Therefore, the termination of employment due to retirement and other grounds in accordance with the law will not affect the Agency's functionality, and we believe that any amendment to any law that directly relates to the Agency, without consulting the Agency, is not good, as it often involves manipulation of inaccurate data and proposes legal solutions that will negatively impact the Agency's functioning.

Similarly, enacting legal solutions that would allow employees to remain employed for years after meeting retirement conditions, and for such continuation to depend solely on the employee's will, would create legal uncertainty, unequal and unfair treatment, hinder career advancement, and lead to a number of other negative consequences. In this way, the hiring of new police officers would also be prevented, as entry-level positions would not become vacant.

We also state that the police bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina have previously agreed upon and supported the proposal for amendments to the Law on Police Officers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which regulate the issues of extending the service of police officers.

We remind the public that the Agency acts in accordance with the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina and upon the orders of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and taking into account its responsibilities in serving the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was announced by SIPA.