4.4 Visits to police stations In 2017, we visited 27 police stations (PS) across Slovenia (Gornja Radgona PS, Lenart PS, Ruše PS, Cerknica PS, Postojna PS, Ilirska Bistrica PS, Ljutomer PS, Murska Sobota PS, Lendava PS, Sežana PS, Ajdovščina PS, Nova Gorica PS, Velenje PS, Šmarje pri Jelšah PS, Rogaška Slatina PS, Piran PS, Grosuplje PS, Metlika PS, Črnomelj PS, Ljubljana Centre PS, Ribnica PS, Kočevje PS, Kozina PS, Koper PS, Izola PS, and Gorišnica PS and Ptuj PS, where review visits were made) All visits, with the exception of the visit to Piran PS, where two foreign nationals, i.e. representatives of the Antigone organisation from Rome were present, were unannounced and made in the context of a regular, previously scheduled supervision. We established that police officers were familiar with the tasks and duties of the NPM and our work during the visits always ran smoothly. After each visit, the group which implemented the visit prepared the report with the findings and recommendations, which was sent to the Ministry of the Interior (MI) and the PS concerned to discuss it and to provide a response, which was done for all visits to the PS. Total number of all (new or repeated) recommendations Accepted Rejected Implemented No data No response yet 172 49 28 94 1 0 The recommendations were made on the basis of an inspection of the detention room or rooms, talks with the management of the PS, and the review of documents of randomly chosen detentions. The MI regularly responded to our recommendations and in the main agreed with our findings and recommendations, assuring us that individual deficiencies have been eliminated or were expected to improve. Of the 172 recommendations (including 11 new recommendations made during review visits to two PS), 94 recommendations have been implemented, 49 have been accepted but not yet implemented (mostly due to the lack of financial resources or because more time is required for implementation), 28 recommendations have not been accepted, and the MI has not provided a comment on one of the recommendations. The unaccepted recommendations refer to some of the following. We recommended that the possibility of reintroducing permanent on-call services at Gornja Radgona PS, Lenart PS,and Kozina PS be studied. In this respect, the MI responded that the reintroduction of permanent on-call services was not anticipated for these PS. It was recommended that Nova Gorica PS, Šmarje pri Jelšah PS, Gorišnica PS, and Ptuj PS place a mailbox outside the station for the anonymous submission of comments and compliments. The MI responded that the placing of mailboxes is a choice made by the individual police stations, and that placing a mailbox in front of the PS would not ensure anonymity. It was recommended that Ribnica PS study the possibility of setting up a special interrogation room. The MI responded that there was no possibility of setting up a special interrogation room. Following the model of Velenje PS, it was recommended that the possibility of introducing an SOS mobile phone in all police stations be studied. The MI responded that this was not possible, and that this was an agreement arranged between Velenje PS and Velenje Municipality. It was recommended that Ajdovščina PS set up a more appropriate room for detention or interviews with detainees. With regard to both recommendations, the MI responded that there was no need to do so, as persons deprived of their liberty are only exceptionally taken to Ajdovščina PS, as they are usually immediately taken to Nova Gorica PS. We recommended that Postojna PS and Velenje PS equip interview rooms with video surveillance. With regard to both recommendations, the MI responded that there were insufficient funds. We pointed out to Ljutomer PS that an injured person deprived of their liberty needed to be taken to see a doctor. The MI responded that the person who had been deprived of their liberty did not request to see a doctor, nor did the police officer believe that they needed to see a doctor. 66 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2017 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT