The DSPS continued its commitment to develop and build trust and co-operation between all communities in Kosovo and law enforcement. In this regard, on 15-16 June, the DSPS supported KAPS in hosting the Mini Olympics for People with Disabilities, which was organized by the Parents Organization of Children with Disabilities of Kosovo and the Kosovo Paralympics Committee. Around 550 people with disabilities and their family members from different communities participated in various sport disciplines, including wheelchair race, basketball, handball, goal-ball, darts, targeting, table tennis, special drawing and chess competitions. The event aimed at promoting the integration of people with disabilities and to increase their trust and co-operation with the police and other public safety providers. On 23-24 September, the DSPS supported KAPS and KP in hosting the third Balkan Countries Police Training Conference, which was held in Prishtinë/Pristina. This two-day conference managed to strengthen the co-operation and communication network of the regional police academies with KAPS and KP in the field of police training and education. Practitioners and academics from the regional police academies alongside the senior officials from KAPS and KP mainly discussed about international co-operation in the field of police training and education, faculty (teaching staff) development in police academies and collaborations between higher education institutions and the police service. Lastly, together with the EU Office and governmental representatives, the DSPS contributed to the drafting of the KAPS Strategy and Development Plan 2014-2018, which sets out the mission and the vision of the Faculty of Public Safety. Furthermore, as a part of the working group for the KAPS Annual Training Plan 2014, the DSPS had the opportunity to harmonise its activities with all national and international training providers, by ensuring that there was no overlap in planning and implementation of its training activities for 2014. Public Safety Awareness In support of its guiding principle that public confidence is a key element to ensure a transparent security sector, the DSPS continued with implementing activities that lead to the progress of KP’s performance in awareness raising and enhancement of co-operation and interaction between KP and the people of Kosovo. Commencing from 11-28 March, the DSPS provided a series of training courses for over 120 dispatchers of KP and the Agency for Emergency Management (AEM), whose responsibility involves processing emergency calls. Designed and delivered by the DSPS in co-operation with KP, the series of training delivered in all six Kosovo regions, aimed at enhancing the dispatchers’ professional capacities. The content of the training consisted of a mixture of theoretical and practical lessons, involving audio and video case studies. It covered a range of topics including how to receive and prioritize incoming telephone calls regarding crimes in progress; how to show empathy and determine response requirements in accordance with established procedures; emergency intervention and co-operation with other institutions; as well as incomplete calls and communication with children through the emergency lines with a focus on calls related to domestic violence. According to an evaluation conducted jointly with KP, AEM and KAPS two months after the course, participants were already applying the gained skills, although the lack of equipment remained a major problem in all regions. To tackle this issue, the DSPS, jointly with ICITAP, visited the regional centres and police stations to evaluate the capacities of KP On-Call Centres for performing their duties. In co-operation with KP, the team mainly checked the number of staff assigned to On-Call Centres, training they had received and the equipment they were working with. The evaluation report concluded that besides the lack of equipment there was a need for additional training (first aid and job specific); On-Call Centre staff was working with very old computers without internet connections; and that there was a lack of 69

Select target paragraph3

Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents