On 4th November 2025, in the framework of the Grants’ Scheme, the next meeting was organized with students from Durrës District schools, in the premises of the “Dhosi Liperi” General High School. Representatives of the Durrës Local Police Directorate, teachers, the school psychologist and security officer, representatives of the project team and the mobile unit of the Vatra organization for the Durrës district participated in this activity. Discussions with students focused on topics related to their safety at school and in the community, including internet safety, the risk of using narcotics, bullying, trafficking, as well as the importance of cooperation with community police to build a safer environment inside and outside the school. This meeting aims to increase youth awareness of safety and strengthen cooperation between the school, the community and public order structures. The activity convened in the framework of the project “Strengthening Local Mechanisms for Improving Cooperation and Public Safety in the Durrës Region” which is being implemented by the Center for Development and Social Initiatives.  

On 05-07 November 2025, third group of the General Patrol Officers and Command and Control Room personnel from Gjirokastra Local Police Directorate participated in the training delivered by SCPA PMT in the Gjirokastra LPD premises. During this training the trainees were introduced to both theoretical and practical exercises and group work by focusing on CP philosophy and implementation of its elements into the daily routine of ASP officers. In addition, they were presented with situations/practical exercises to be handled with and solved by them as they work in groups with the aim of providing measures to be taken proactively in order to implement the CP elements. Special attention was given to the theoretical and practical treatment of cases of Domestic Violence. In order to provide a comprehensive training module on CP SCPA cooperated with CVE, whose experts provided interactive lecturing on Countering Violent Extremism. Best EU practices on CP philosophy implementation were shared with the ASP officers. At the end of such training the ASP officers are able to enhance their knowledge and capacities on implementation of CP.  

On November 6th, 2025, the National Center for Community Services (NCCS) held an awareness-raising workshop at the middle school “Naun Kacaku” in Portez, Fier, with the school’s psychosocial staff and students. The activity focused on preventing gender-based violence and strengthening the sense of security in school environments. During the activity, the importance of close cooperation between local institutions – the Fier Local Education Office, the local police, social services and psychosocial workers – was emphasized, in order to build a supportive, safe and inclusive school environment for children and youth. Students had the opportunity to openly discuss ways in which they can react to situations of violence and how to support each other in times of difficulty. An inspiring moment of the day was the creation of the “Safety Club”, which will serve as a space for ideas and concrete actions towards a school without violence. This activity is part of the project “Increasing the efficiency and quality of service by the Albanian State Police, local actors and the community for victims of DV and GBV”, implemented by NCCS in the framework of the SCPA program grants’ scheme.  

Under this motto, with the initiative of the Ministry of Interior and the participation of the Cybercrime Investigation Directorate of the Albanian State Police, the Swedish Program “Strengthening Community Policing in Albania” (SCPA) held an awareness-raising meeting with students, teachers and Security Officers of the “Sami Frashëri” and “Ismail Qemali” high schools in Tirana. The meeting was interactive and in the form of a conversation, where students were introduced to concrete cases of cybercrime and cyberbullying, had the opportunity to openly discuss and ask questions to police officers who deal with such cases daily. Although sometimes these situations seem like something out of a movie, they are actually present in the Albanian society, among youth. Something that starts as a game has the potential to very quickly turn into a criminal offense with very serious consequences for friends, acquaintances or the surrounding environment. Students were introduced not only to the forms of cybercrime, but also to ways of preventing, reporting and referring cases to law enforcement agencies. The aim of the training was to raise awareness for a safer internet, protect youth online and empower them to react to any form of cyber abuse.

As part of the initiative to increase road safety, the EKO Mendje organization organized an exhibition with photographs, statistics and educational messages on one of the busiest streets of the city of Shkodra. The activity was also accompanied by artistic performances on the street with the participation of circus actors, to attract the attention of the public in a positive and interactive way. Practical demonstrations of crossing according to road signs were also held and awareness-raising brochures for pedestrians and drivers were distributed. Students from several educational institutions in the city, such as the “28 Nëntori” high school, the “Oso Kuka” high school, the “Deshmoret e Prishtines” school, the “Borë Bardha” kindergarten, as well as volunteers and coordinators of EKO Mendje and youth from the community, participated in these activities. The activities were carried out in cooperation with the Traffic Police and the Municipal Police of the city of Shkodra, which provided support and security during the implementation on the ground. These activities, in addition to coverage on social networks, were also broadcasted by local media, spreading at a wider range the message of caution and respect for traffic rules and presenting the project made possible by the SCPA Program.  

As part of the initiative to increase road safety, the EKO Mendje organization organized an educational activity with the children of the “Dëshmoret e Prishtines” school in Shkodra. The activity took place in the school yard and consisted of the awareness-raising game “Searching for the House”, which aimed to teach children how to follow road signs to move safely home. Through the game, the children were involved in practical situations where they identified road signs, zebra crossing and signals, gaining basic knowledge about careful behavior on the road. The activity was accompanied by positive energy, cooperation and a lot of enthusiasm from the participating students and teachers.  

15 professionals from local institutions, part of the Coordinated Referral Mechanism of the 7 Municipalities of Elbasan District, were active participants in the meeting that the Elbasan Women’s Forum held online on October 29, 2025 with the Regional Network with the 7 Interdisciplinary Technical Teams of the Municipalities of Elbasan District. During the meeting, 8 cases under Protection Orders (women and children) were discussed to support them according to their needs, as well as to share positive practices developed while working with cases of Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence. This activity was organized within the framework of the project “Partnership between the State Police, local actors and the community regarding Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence in the Elbasan District”, supported by the SCPA Program Grants’ Scheme.  

SCPA PMT organised a study visit in cooperation with the Brandenburg Federal State Police and Police Academy on 20-24 October 2025, in the framework of the Programme work plan. The study visit was addressed to managers of the Albanian State Police and aimed at sharing EU best practices and exchange of information on community policing models – police engagement with communities to build trust and collect intelligence; organizational structures – understanding hierarchical models, decentralization and the role of specialized units; preventive policing approaches – focus on prevention rather than reaction; use of technology – use of databases, case management software, e-policing platforms in terms of data collection and analysis, training and professional standards. The delegation was received by the Deputy General Director of the Brandenburg Police, Mr. Jan Muller, and other colleagues from the visited organizational units. During the meetings, the representatives of the Albanian State Police and Security Academy were introduced to the working practices of the German police counterparts and also exchange their experiences. Besides the discussions, the delegation had the opportunity to observe practical demonstrations of the equipment and technology used, especially in the field of traffic police, training ranges at the Security Academy, management of public calls and management of emergency situations from the Command and Control and Room etc. A special presentation was dedicated to the preventive work that the police carried out with the community, especially with schools and the elderly.  

The National Center for Community Services (NCCS) organized a workshop on 24th October 2025 with the psychosocial staff and students of the “Mustafa Hoxha” High School in Cakran, as part of initiatives to prevent gender-based violence and promote a safe and inclusive environment in schools. The activity was organized in collaboration with social workers, the local police and social services, emphasizing the importance of cooperation for the well-being of young people. A special moment was the creation of the “Safety Club”, where students will engage in building a safe and violence-free school environment.  

On October 17, 2025, in the framework of the Grants Scheme, a meeting was organized with 8th and 9th grade students of the “Frymë Dashurie” school in Durres. Representatives of the State Police, school staff, students and representatives of the project team participated in this activity, by discussing concrete ways to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation and to increase students’ awareness of safety in schools and communities. During the meeting, an open and interactive discussion was held with the students, where they shared examples from their daily lives, expressed their opinions on how communication and cooperation between students, teachers and police officers can be improved, how to increase safety in schools and communities, and how to prevent violence or conflicts in schools. The discussions and presentations emphasized the role of youth as important actors in building safer communities. This activity was held in the framework of the project “Strengthening Local Mechanisms for Improving Cooperation and Public Safety in the Durres Region” which is being implemented by the Center for Development and Social Initiatives.