389 Young Officers Join State Police, Lamallari: The Uniform Brings Responsibility, Not Privilege

The State Police has welcomed 389 young men and women who completed the General Patrol course. During a ceremony held at the Security Academy, Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari said the participants had acquired professional knowledge and prepared themselves for the realities of one of the most difficult and noble professions in service to the country.

Addressing the trainees, lecturers, State Police leaders and family members, Lamallari emphasized that completing police training was not merely a formality. According to him, this moment marks the beginning of a new mission and brings direct responsibility toward citizens and the country.

The minister noted that although such ceremonies are held every year and may appear similar at first glance, they are never the same. Each course brings young people with new dreams, families who have waited for this day, and individuals entrusted with a new responsibility.

Lamallari said this responsibility takes on particular importance in the State Police because training does not end with the completion of school or a training program. It is tied to a difficult duty that includes protecting lives and ensuring the enforcement of the law. He described serving the country’s security, safeguarding people’s lives and property, and supporting them through difficult times as the highest honor. He urged the trainees to view the uniform throughout their careers as a symbol of trust, responsibility and pride.

According to the minister, the authority granted to the uniform by law is not enough to secure public trust. That trust, he said, must be earned every day through professionalism, conduct and communication with people—on the street, in neighborhoods, at police stations or during difficult situations. He cited communicating with a citizen, responding to an elderly person, protecting a child and intervening in the face of a crime as concrete tests.

Presenting his vision for the coming years, the head of the Interior Ministry said the new generation of police must be modern, professional and humane. According to him, the police force of a European Albania cannot be judged solely by the force it demonstrates against crime, but also by its ability to prevent it, the professionalism with which it combats it, and the humanity with which it serves citizens without compromise.

Lamallari described the Security Academy as the starting point for the modernization of the State Police. He underlined the role of knowledge, discipline, professional training and the use of technology, explaining that this process does not rely solely on investment in the necessary equipment and technology, but begins first and foremost at the Security Academy.

The minister called for modernization to be accompanied by a change in mindset and approach to public safety. According to him, the police must move from being a structure that merely reacts to becoming a force that prevents; from a presence that becomes visible only when a problem arises to an everyday service close to citizens. He emphasized that the institution must not rely solely on the authority granted to it by law and that citizens should not view police officers as creating distance between them and the state, because the police are the most immediate face of the state.

Regarding European integration, Lamallari said Albania’s transformation must proceed in parallel with the transformation of the State Police and its professional standards. Speaking about integrity, he warned the young officers that the uniform does not grant them privileges, but places responsibility upon them. According to him, while performing their duties, they will encounter people who may try to tempt, bribe, intimidate or test them, and they must therefore remain strong, not tarnish the uniform and not betray citizens’ trust.

The minister described integrity as a police officer’s most powerful weapon. He reminded the trainees that behind every intervention there is a citizen and a family, behind every decision there is a life, and behind every police officer lies people’s trust in the state. In conclusion, Lamallari urged them to be strong against crime, fair before the law and humane in their dealings with citizens, serving Albania with honor and its citizens with dignity and dedication. He invited them to use their work to build the police force of a European Albania.

State Police Director General Skënder Hita told the new officers that their compass in this mission must point in only three directions: the law, service to citizens and fulfillment of the legacy of the State Police Martyrs, who are also Martyrs of the Nation. He urged them never to stray from these three guiding principles, regardless of challenges or temptations, warning that losing their compass means losing the citizen and their dignity, while the road ahead then becomes filled with light and shadow, and perhaps even darkness.