ANNUAL REPORT 2019-OMBUDSMANNATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM
During each detention, that is, deprivation of liberty or detention of a minor, they also
stated that its parents were immediately notified and summoned and a defence counsel
was provided. In this respect, from the conversation with the officials, the NPM team
concluded that the police officers are facing problems in providing representatives from the Centre for Social Works, when needed.
2.3.3. Records and registers of detained persons
The general conclusion of the team of the National Preventive Mechanism is that the
registers are filled in neatly and legibly and that there is a logical flow and following of
the events in the books, without crossing out in any of the sections. However, from our
detailed insight into records and registers, we have identified the following shortcomings:
From the inspection of the Book of Records of persons deprived of liberty and
detained persons, the NPM team found small shortcomings in terms of inactivity and
non-completion of all sections. According to this record book, persons in the Police Station
are detained for an average of 6 hours, and a detention of a person for 13 hours is
recorded, which according to the NPM team is a long period of time, given the
inhumane conditions in the detention room (without light, no call system for physiological
needs, bad smell, poor ventilation, etc.).
From the inspection of the Book of Records of used means of coercion, the NPM
team determined that it is kept properly, and the most commonly used means of coercion
are lever, handcuffs, leg grips, hand/arm grips, etc. In the recorded events for the current
year, it is noticed that there is a lack of information about the justification of the used
means for coercion from April of the same year, which speaks of insufficient diligence.
Thereby, the NPM team concluded that all other cases of used means of coercion, for
which the assessment has already been performed, were assessed as justified.
At the Centar Police Station, there is no Book of Records of complaints filed
by citizens against a police officer and measures undertaken. The team repeatedly asked questions to the shift manager and deputy commander about the records and
type of complaints against officials, to which it received an answer that the complaints are
sent directly to the Ministry of Interior - Department of Internal Control.
2.3.4. Recommendations and action on given
recommendations
The Ombudsman - NPM prepared a Special Report on the established conditions of
the visit with specific recommendations, which it submitted to the Ministry of Interior, as
well as to the Commander of the Centar Police Station.
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