POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE institutions to discuss and present topics, such as pre- and post-explosion chemical analysis, technical development in forensics methodology and other similar topics. From 22-23 June, the Mission organized and facilitated a two day study visit to INTERPOL in Lyon, France on disaster victim identification for six operational representatives of the KAF and the KP. The representatives gained knowledge on INTERPOL’s internationally accepted standards and best practices regarding identification of victims of major disasters. Additionally, from 17-21 August, 18 operational participants of these two agencies attended the second part of training on this topic delivered by the Mission at the KAPS premises. The purpose of the training was to enhance the abilities of the trainees to attend to those at the scene of a major disaster and, in accordance with international best standards, to record accurately the details relevant to both missing persons and the remains of deceased persons. the accreditation process of the Agency’s laboratories in order to produce verifiable evidence, which can be used in the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases. On this note, the Mission conducted technical assessments for the Agency’s fingerprint, documents and manuscript, and ballistics laboratories. t
From 31 August-4 September, an assessment of the fingerprint laboratory took place and focused on specific methods used by the Agency, including analysis, comparison, evaluation and verification, scientific chemical and physical methods and other operational methods of compression, and tool mark traces and tire impression. t
From 14-18 September, a technical accreditation assessment, involving the documents and manuscript laboratory, was conducted. From 29 June-3 July, the Mission organized training on crime scene reconstruction for 20 operational representatives of the KP and KAF at the premises of KAPS. The course included internationally accepted best crime scene reconstruction practices, and taught participants about scientific principles and logical methodology of crime scene reconstruction, recognition of evidence at the scene of the crime, pattern evidence in crime scene reconstruction, mapping/recording of the location and position of physical evidence, and gathering of such evidence. t
Finally, from 19-23 September, an accreditation assessment on the ballistics laboratory was conducted. From 10-14 August, ten operational representatives of the KP and the KAF attended a training on investigation of crimes committed using various social media networks, delivered by the Mission. The trainees learned about the fundamentals of social media networks, principles of the investigative process and sources, processing of evidence from social media networks, note taking and reporting, and the legal restrictions of privacy regarding human rights. The course was part of a digital forensics investigation package offered to these agencies. From September to December, the Mission implemented an extra-budgetary project funded by the German Embassy in Prishtinë/Priština to enhance the effectiveness of the IT Department and the Audio Analysis Unit of the KAF to investigate cybercrimes through the procurement of specialized hardware and software, which are designed to analyse digital evidence and to produce verifiable evidence to assist criminal prosecutions. From 24-28 August, the Mission organized a training on quality assurance for forensic examination for 15 managers of the KAF at the agency’s site. The training was designed based on the needs of the agency, including instructions and practical demonstrations on topics covering the rules, protocols, and implications of the International Organization for Standardization (IOS) System, functional analysis, implications on human resources, and workflows of information. Following these three assessments, the Mission produced technical assessment reports based on the accreditation standards set by the Kosovo Directorate of Accreditation. Subsequently, all three laboratories obtained formal accreditation by the Kosovo accreditation authority in a formal ceremony that took place on 22 December at the Agency’s site. From 5-9 October, nine representatives of the KP K9 Unit attended an advanced training on search and rescue delivered by the Mission. Having previously provided the police dog handlers with basic training in this area, this advanced course further assisted them in improving the use of techniques on search and rescue operations. From 23-27 November, the Mission provided five police officers at the KP Technical Support Directorate with a specialized training in opening various types of locks and doors in order to install technical surveillance equipment to support criminal investigations. After the accreditation of drugs analysis and DNA laboratories of the KAF in May 2015, the Mission continued to support 57