1.5 The visits to police stations 1.5 The visits to police stations Nineteen  police stations were visited in Slovenia in 2013 (Hereinafter: “PS”) (Ljubljana Bežigrad PS, Ljubljana Center PS, Brežice PS, Šentjernej PS, Kranjska Gora PS, Radovljica PS, Tržič PS, Laško PS, Celje PS, Radlje ob Dravi PS, Dravograd PS, Ravne na Koroškem PS, Slovenj Gradec PS, PS for Compensatory Measures Maribor, Maribor  II PS, Slovenske Konjice PS, Maribor  I PS , Slovenska Bistrica PS, Šentjur pri Celju PS) and Ljubljana Police Detention Centre. 19 visits were regular visits and one visit was c control visit (Šentjur pri Celju PS). This year we noticed once more that police officers were well informed about the tasks and powers of the NPM, so we were able to carry out our work smoothly. All visits were unannounced, except in the case of Ljubljana Police Detention Centre, and took place in the morning or in the afternoon. After each visit the group prepared a report on the findings with recommendations, which was sent to the Ministry of the Interior (MNZ) and to the concerned police station (PS) or the Police Station for Compensatory Measures (hereinafter: “PSCM”) or the Detention Centre (DC), in which inspection was carried out. The recommendations were based on the inspection of custody facilities, a conversation with the management of the police station, a conversation with persons in police custody and a review of the documentation, related to police custody. The Ministry of the Interior regularly responded to our reports, agreed with our findings in most cases and assured us that some deficiencies have already been addressed or that improvements are planned. The visits to the PSs have continued to proceed under the established order: firstly, the group composed of the representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office and the representatives of the NGO under a contract (the visit to Ljubljana Police Detention Centre, Šentjur pri Celju PS, Radlje ob Dravi PS and Dravograd PS was conducted only by the representatives of the Ombudsman), inspected all detention rooms, including the auxiliary facilities (such as the reception area, area for foreigners and lawyers, storage room and recreation yard). During the general inspection of the PS special attention was paid to parking spaces for clients, marking of parking spaces and particularly to suitability of access to the PS for disabled persons. We also inspected the locker rooms for police officers in terms of their potential separation for men and women. This was followed by the inspection of police intervention vehicles (if present at the PS during our visit). After that, it was time for an interview with the PS management (most frequently with the commander, assistant commander or police officer on duty), when documentation concerning detention of some randomly selected cases (files) was also inspected. Upon each visit, statistical data on the number of persons detained and held at the visited PS in 2013 was obtained (concerning the period from 1 January to the date of the visit). Basic data on detention rooms The number of detention rooms differs from one PS to another; there are from one to five detention rooms for shorter (up to  12 hours) and longer (up to  48 hours) periods of detention. Ljubljana Police Detention Centre has twenty detention rooms (10 for short-term and 10 for long-term police detention). Some PSs have no detention rooms (PSCM Maribor, Maribor II PS) which is why detention takes place in other police stations. Kranjska Gora PS and Radovljica PS are unable to use their detention rooms; therefore detention takes place in other units. Also the two detention rooms at the Laško PS have not been used since November 2012, because they were flooded. In some PSs, access to detention rooms is possible by car directly through the garage or through the main entrance or by taking the stairs and passing the police officer on duty (Ljubljana Bežigrad PS, Tržič PS and Celje PS), while in other police stations access to the detention room is possible only through the garage (PS Brežice) or through a separate outdoor entrance from the courtyard of the police station (Laško PS, Slovenj Gradec PS). When examining the detention rooms, the focus was primarily on proper equipment, the labelling and size of rooms, proper lighting (daylight and artificial light) proper room temperature, ventilation and cleanliness, toilets, access to drinking water, food supply, video surveillance of rooms and the option to make telephone calls, equipment of rooms with information and brochures on the rights of detained persons, the possibility of outdoor exercise and smoking (and accommodation in non-smoking rooms), the regulation of complaints procedures and the correct video surveillance of toilets. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2013 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT 97