Assembly adopts conclusions: Numerous assignments for the MUP and Police Administration of Sarajevo Canton, laws to be amended, police presence to be increased

(Patria) - The three-day session of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly on the current security situation concluded today with the adoption of a series of conclusions and assignments arising from numerous presentations, discussions and questions on this topic.

Recall, the emergency session on security in our canton was called due to, as stated, the deteriorated security situation and serious criminal acts that have, unfortunately, been committed in the last few months, resulting in fatalities, intimidation and property destruction.

Along with extensive written information on the state of security, and a review of the implementation of the Assembly's conclusions adopted in June last year on the topic of security, each from their own domain, in addition to the Minister of Interior of Sarajevo Canton Admir Katica, Police Commissioner of the Police Administration of the MUP of Sarajevo Canton Fatmir Hajdarević and the Chairman of the Assembly's Security Commission Elvedin Okerić, the relevant ministers of justice, primary and higher education, and social protection spoke.

The adoption of the conclusions was preceded by numerous discussions that touched on many aspects of the functioning of the Sarajevo police, from personnel capacities, equipment, staff training, systematic examinations of police officers, ranks, illegal weapons, traffic safety, domestic violence and femicide, drug abuse and trafficking, police communication with the public, to shortcomings in existing federal and cantonal legal solutions that regulate and treat the security segment. Discussions were also held on the work and results of the Prosecutor's Office and courts in Sarajevo Canton.


At the proposal of the Security Commission of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly and the Assembly's clubs and representatives, a series of conclusions were adopted with the aim of improving police work and raising the level of security in Sarajevo Canton, which read:

1. The Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton and the Police Administration of the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton are tasked with carrying out enhanced preventive and repressive measures, which are reflected in the following:
- increased number of police officers in the field through the engagement of patrol services and cooperation with the local community, as well as ensuring their presence near schools, busy intersections and other security-interesting facilities,
- increased number of mobile radars,
- enhanced work of the intervention police unit and the traffic safety unit in the field,
- enhanced work with "interceptor" vehicles,
- increased number of patrols in the period from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the busiest intersections in the city,
- continuation of the application of guidelines on improving traffic safety in Sarajevo Canton and implementation of the Action Plan for the prevention of theft of passenger motor vehicles, which also includes the installation of video surveillance, and prevention of traffic injuries.

2. The Commission expressed unquestionable and full support for the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton and the Police Administration, and given the complexity of security issues, considers that it is still necessary, in accordance with the Conclusions of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly from June 2023:

a) to continue multisectoral activities in the fight against juvenile delinquency and activities determined by the Strategy and Action Plan for the prevention and suppression of drug abuse in Sarajevo Canton,
b) to implement activities in the fight against traffic delinquency through the application of measures and activities determined in the Guidelines for improving traffic safety in Sarajevo Canton,
c) to implement the Plan of enhanced activities of police officers of the Police Support Sector with the aim of reducing crime and finding objects originating from criminal acts, which relates to the increased presence of teams of police officers, in the evening and night hours, on the streets and other public spaces in Sarajevo Canton,
d) to implement the Plan of police officers' actions "Street Racer" which relates to reducing the forms of endangering public traffic by so-called "street racers",
e) to implement the Plan of police officers' actions "Speed" which relates to exceeding the permitted speed of motor vehicles,
f) to intensify and, if necessary, update existing planned activities related to preventing and suppressing criminal acts and misdemeanors with elements of violence,
g) to continue existing activities related to planning and implementing operational-tactical actions related to criminal acts of illicit drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons or explosive materials and robbery,
h) to continue the processes of procurement of necessary material and technical means for more efficient work of police officers.
3. In accordance with the staffing situation of the police force, police units shall be maximally engaged in conducting proactive preventive activities through conversations with the local population and increased presence at critical locations. Also, the MUP of Sarajevo Canton is tasked with immediately submitting an initiative to the Government of Sarajevo Canton for the recruitment of new, and according to the Rulebook on systematization, missing police officers.

4. It is necessary to submit an initiative to the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federal Ministry of Interior for increasing accommodation capacities at the Police Academy, so that there is no long wait for attending necessary courses and training, which is a condition for the recruitment of new police officers. It is necessary to consider the legal possibilities of establishing a secondary school of internal affairs at the level of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

5. The Police Administration of the MUP of Sarajevo Canton is obliged to initiate activities with the aim of introducing video surveillance of public spaces in the area of Sarajevo Canton, in accordance with the security assessments at their disposal, in order to raise the level of citizen safety to a higher level.

6. The Police Administration of the MUP of Sarajevo Canton is obliged to inform the public in a timely manner about all security events, without jeopardizing the operational interest and elements that could compromise further investigative activities, so that citizens have information from the right source, and irresponsible individuals do not have the opportunity to misinform citizens with half-information.

7. The Police Administration of the MUP of Sarajevo Canton is obliged to actively monitor and undertake necessary activities related to monitoring the migrant situation in the area of Sarajevo Canton from all security aspects.

8. The MUP of Sarajevo Canton and the Police Administration of the MUP of Sarajevo Canton are tasked with, in accordance with the existing protocol on mutual cooperation and provision of assistance, regularly maintaining cooperation with all security entities relevant to security in the area of Sarajevo Canton.

9. The Ministry of Justice of Sarajevo Canton is tasked with checking the legal possibilities related to the establishment of a public register of convicted persons based on multiple repeat offenders of misdemeanors in the field of traffic, public order and peace, as well as a register of tenants and landlords in Sarajevo Canton.

10. The Police Administration of the MUP of Sarajevo Canton is tasked with, in the coming period, initiating activities and carrying out systematic examinations of all police officers, and in accordance with legal provisions, selecting institutions for performing these activities.

11. The Police Administration of the MUP of Sarajevo Canton is tasked with immediately initiating amendments to the Law on the Basics of Traffic Safety on Roads in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Law on Misdemeanors of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and initiating the signing of a memorandum of cooperation and agreement with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of enforced collection of unpaid fines based on misdemeanor orders and vehicle confiscation.

12. The Police Administration of the MUP of Sarajevo Canton is tasked with, in cooperation with the state security body of the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, intensifying activities on the establishment of a security area in accordance with the law on the protection of classified data in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Ministry of Interior and the Police Administration of Sarajevo Canton are tasked with conducting a comprehensive analysis of the previous application of the Law on Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton and the Law on Police Officers of Sarajevo Canton, as well as the by-laws arising from the said laws, and after conducting the analysis, to propose amendments to the relevant laws, as well as other observed shortcomings in the previous application of the said regulations, all with the aim of better, more efficient and functional work of the Police Administration and the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton.

At the proposals of the Ministry of Justice and Administration, the Ministry of Education, and the clubs and individuals of all parties in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, numerous additional conclusions were adopted that treat certain segments of security in Sarajevo Canton, which will be available to the public, in integral form, on the website of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly.