On November 6, 2024, the General Directorate of the Albanian State Police, Executive Director Mr. Ilir Proda held a meeting with Mrs. Linda Gjermani, Programme Officer at the Embassy of Sweden and Mr. Ansi Shundi, Team Leader of the SCPA Programme – ‘Strengthening Community Policing in Albania’.
Mr. Proda appreciated the cooperation and support provided to date by the Swedish Government. The Swedish Government, through its programmes financed in many years, is one of the main stakeholders of the Albanian State Police especially in the Community Policing area. The Albanian Police has benefited from the best practices implemented and from the investments developed in the framework of programmes, which have had an impact not only in the police infrastructure but also in the equipment provided. General Director also emphasized the important role of the prevention in relation to creating safer communities and the importance of the increase of citizens’ trust in police services, areas where the programmes funded by the Swedish Government have been involved.
On behalf of the Swedish Embassy, Mrs. Gjermani emphasized the fruitful cooperation and partnership established with the Albanian State Police and other beneficiaries of the Community Policing Programme and the tangible results achieved by this cooperation. She informed the ASP managers that in addition to the SCPA Programme, the Swedish Embassy intends to fund another programme as a bilateral cooperation between the Swedish Police and the Albanian State Police, focusing on capacities’ enhancement as regards the crime scene investigation and forensics and sexual and gender-based violence cases. This second programme is expected to commence early 2025.
SCPA Program Team Leader Mr. Shundi informed on the activities developed on the third phase of the Programme, which started in July 2024. The focus of the programme will be improving the effectiveness of CP implementation, enhancement of accountability and coordination of police with other local stakeholders and enhancement of prevention capacities, including the project ‘Safe Schools” and road traffic safety.
At the end of the meeting, both parties expressed their appreciation for the fruitful and successful cooperation during the last twelve years and their intention to further continue such cooperation.
