4.3 Mission in Kosovo Criminal Investigations and Analysis In its criminal investigations on serious and organized crimes, the KP, specifically the Department for Intelligence Analysis, has demonstrated an increase in analytical and statistical reports, which has resulted in the establishment of the baseline of 956 intelligence forms fed to respective police units, thus contributing to the overall work of the agency. This mirrors the success of the implementation of a joint training for the KP and Albanian State Police in drafting the Serious Organized Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA), financed by the Swiss Regional Police Cooperation Programme (SPCP) of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) and implemented by the Mission. The following joint trainings took place: t
From 26-30 January, training on Internet and Open Source Intelligence Investigation took place in Kosovo. It provided six intelligence analysts from each police service with the necessary components required for the development of SOCTA in line with Europol standards. t
From 23-25 February, the Mission visited the Europol offices in The Hague, the Netherlands, in an effort to obtain their support and assistance in SOCTA training. It was decided, in the absence of an agreement between Kosovo and Europol that the main approach will be via Albania where the necessary agreements are in place. t
Finally, the four-week training package for developing the SOCTA, which commenced with a two-week training segment on 27 October 2014, concluded with the analytical training from 9-13 March, delivered by the Mission to the same audience. This training provided the officers with in-depth knowledge and skills on strategic analysis and analytical techniques necessary to produce such reports. Following this training, the core group of analysts will be responsible to pass on expert knowledge through consecutive in-house training to their colleagues. From 20-22 May, the Mission delivered a field officers intelligence training course to 14 KP officers at the KAPS premises. The course aimed to increase the abilities of the police officers in gathering criminal intelligence in the field as well as to equip them with knowledge on the importance of effective criminal intelligence units on all levels of the KP. From 27-29 May, the Mission organized a three-day training held at the “Bundeskriminalämter Kriminalanalyse” in Vienna. The training was delivered by the Austrian SOCTA experts to 12 intelligence analysts from both police services, and focused mainly on different approaches to a national SOCTA and on providing information to Europol. 60 From 15-17 June, the next three-day training leg was held at Europol in The Hague, Netherlands, with the aim of the training to have both police services meet the required Europol standards in developing the SOCTA. It was delivered by Europol experts to the target intelligence analysts from both police services, and focused mainly on Europol methodology. From 8-19 June, the Mission delivered a two-week advanced training on investigative interviewing to 20 officers of the KP investigation units that were previously trained on basic investigative interviewing and criminal statement analysis. The aim of the training was to improve the skills of the officers to interview victims, witnesses, and suspects using the correct models of interviewing as an essential aspect of the investigation process. On 2 July, the Mission supported the KP in facilitating the workshop for the second annual review of the ILP Strategy and Action Plan 2013-2017 at the Mission’s HQ. The Steering Group for implementing this Strategy, consisting of relevant KP pillars along with their international partners assisting in the implementation of this Strategy, namely the Mission, ICITAP, and UNDP, discussed actions taken during the reporting period, and based on these conclusions identified recommendations that will be supplemented in the Strategy for the next implementation period. From 23-29 August, the Mission, in co-operation with the Turkish National Police, organized a training course on the role of criminal intelligence against organized crime for seven officers of the KP section against narcotics in the Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North region. The training was held at the Turkish Intelligence Academy in Ankara and covered topics such as information gathering, the evaluation, analysis and dissemination role of criminal intelligence in fighting against drugs, street drug dealers and informant handling, and other criminal intelligence aspects of policing. The added value of this event was that it was the first opportunity for Kosovo Serb, Kosovo Bosnian, and Kosovo Albanian officers to attend a specialized joint-training held abroad, and to strengthen their ties through joint capacity-building and extracurricular activities.  From 31 August-4 September, 17 KP officers attended a training of trainers on robbery and burglary investigation, delivered by the Mission. This training aimed at raising the participants’ skills in successfully solving robbery and burglary investigation, including identification of modus operandi, relevant and unique characteristics in burglary offenses and identification of the most common methods used to commit burglaries and robberies.