On 15th July 2026, the meeting of the Local Council for Public Safety (LCPS) was held in Shijak Municipality, with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Prefecture of Durrës District, Shijak Municipality, the Albanian State Police, educational institutions and the Community Policing Strengthening Program in Albania (SCPA). The focus of the meeting was on security priorities during the summer season, preparations for the start of the new school year and strengthening inter-institutional cooperation within the framework of the new Public Safety Strategy.
At the opening of the meeting, the Mayor of Shijak Municipality, Mr. Elton Arbana, praised the functioning of the LCPS as an effective inter-institutional coordination mechanism and reconfirmed that the concerns identified by the Local Safety Measurement System (LSMS) regarding road safety and reducing vehicle speed have been addressed through concrete interventions by the municipality and responsible institutions.
Deputy The Minister of Interior and Chairperson of the National Council for Public Safety, Ms. Anisa Ruseti, praised the very positive results of the Municipality of Shijak in the LSMS 2025, emphasizing that the municipality ranks among the best at the national level for the perception of security and citizens’ trust in institutions. She emphasized the importance of verifying the functioning of security cameras and the presence of security officers in schools, in cooperation with education structures and the Ministry of Education, before the start of the new school year.
The Prefect of Durrës District, Mr. Adrian Gurra, emphasized that the issues raised reflect the challenges of a developing municipality and underlined that addressing them requires continuous coordination between central and local institutions. He expressed the Prefecture’s full support for strengthening the functioning of the LCPS and inter-institutional cooperation.
The Head of the Shijak Police Station presented the operational priorities for the coming period, emphasizing the need to increase preventive measures against fires during the summer season, as well as to strengthen control to prevent the cultivation of narcotics.
On behalf of the SCPA Program, Mr. Ansi Shundi, Programme Management Team Leader, brought to attention several challenges that are gaining importance at the national level, such as children’s cyber safety, bullying on social networks and road safety of minors. He proposed organizing, in cooperation with the Shijak Municipality, the Albanian State Police and educational institutions, awareness-raising activities during the month of September to promote a culture of safety among children and young people, including practical demonstrations on the importance of using seat belts and safe behavior on the road.
During the discussions, the members of the LCPS raised as priority issues waste management, environmental pollution and the need for the continuation of preventive measures to maintain high safety standards in the Municipality of Shijak.
In conclusion, the participants agreed to continue inter-institutional coordination for the implementation of priority measures and to strengthen the role of the LCPS in community safety planning and monitoring.
For the SCPA Program, this meeting represents an important step in the institutionalization of the use of evidence in decision-making, ensuring that the findings of the Community Safety Measurement System are discussed at the local level and serve as a basis for the drafting of priorities, local plans of measures and community policing policies.
