Writes: Aleksandra Obradović
A series of unresolved clashes between criminal groups that resulted in killing and injuring of several people in Montenegro has spurred the reaction of both the security sector and the state leadership, now seeking the help of regional colleagues and European experts in order to discover the perpetrators of these crimes.
This was recently announced by Prime Minister Dusko Markovic who said that the state “will not spare the resources, both human and financial, to tackle this challenge”.
He announced that European partners will be asked to work together with Montenegrin institutions in the fight against crime.
The former Secretary of the National Security Council, Mr. Veselin Veljovic, confirmed that the cooperation of Montenegrin security services with colleagues from the region in the prevention of the most serious crimes was always necessary, knowing that “the headquarters of criminal groups operating in Montenegro are in fact located in certain regional countries”.
It is not unheard-of or unusual for countries to seek outside help of more capable, experienced and skilled countries, already proven in the fight against crime.
Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, for example, was not ashamed last year to publicly ask the European Union to help his country fight cartels profiting from drugs, prostitution, human trafficking and other illegal activities.
Also, anti-crime experts are not needed in small countries only, as the Netherlands confessed they are becoming a narco-state. The authorities simply acknowledged that, with the number of people at their disposal, they can only process every ninth criminal group. The Netherlands also sought outside help.
Perhaps the most interesting crime-fighting case comes from Brazil, whose police in a town of Taubate decided to engage Batman to help them fight ever rising crime rates. Yes you read that right – Batman. This happened in 2012, and the Brazilian Batman was to help the police fight all kinds of crime, from murder to stealing to drug smuggling.
His task was to patrol the city in a superhero costume, in the hopes that this will confuse the criminals. It is not known whether and how many criminal offenses had been prevented by Batman in Brazil.
Developed countries are not shying away from helping Balkan countries prevent crime. At the beginning of the year, Norway decided to improve the work of the Criminal Police Directorate of Serbia through a $ 1,975,000 project.
Montenegro also engaged in training personnel and procuring equipment for combating crime, but after the latest events, it seems the security sector is in need of more investment.
Montenegro has a serious problem in preventing and clarifying criminal offenses, and it is expected that the PM’s announcement on engaging all resources and seeking expert assistance much needed by the police, the prosecution, the National Security Agency, the judiciary.. will materialise ASAP.
It might also be a good idea to re-launch the initiative for the establishment of the Balkan Police from 2013. This special task force would combat organized crime, corruption and illegal migration, and consist of policemen and policewomen from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania.
